


The General's Wife

by yddraig318



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Arranged Marriage, Bottom Hux, Breeding, Eventual Impregnation, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Gratuitous Smut, Hux Backstory, Impregnation, Married Couple, Married Sex, Mild Smut, Porn With Plot, Pre-Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Protective Hux, Shameless Smut, Smut, Star Wars References, Sweet/Hot, Top Hux
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-04
Updated: 2017-12-15
Packaged: 2018-06-06 09:44:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 69,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6748732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yddraig318/pseuds/yddraig318
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cara is the daughter of a wealthy noble in the Tapani sector. Upon receiving offers from eligible suitors, there is one too tempting not to accept. Faced with a lifetime of marriage to a man she barely knows and understands even less, she must strive to perform her duties and fulfill her role as a wife to one of the most powerful men in the galaxy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Match

Cara stared blankly out the window onto the rain-soaked metropolis she called home. Droplets streaked down the windows which made up the entire east-facing wall of the room she was standing in -- relegated to waiting for the men deciding her future to come to her at their leisure.

The youngest daughter of a Lord from a noble house in the Tapani sector, she was expected to make an advantageous match as had her sisters and brothers before her. Under normal circumstances, she would have been paired off with another nobleman of good breeding, but with the tentative situation unfolding across the galaxy under the ever-tightening grip of the First Order, her father had seen fit to buy their family extra protection against any coming onslaught. His last, and most beautiful daughter, could be the chess piece with which he secured his position and that of his family further. A union between Cara and a high-ranking official of the First Order was just the way to achieve this.

It would have been inappropriate to ask outright, indeed the nobles in the Tapani sector were much too proud especially when their daughters were concerned to go around asking for offers of husbands. No, matches like this first began in whispers which carried across the galaxy to listening and interested ears, hopefully earning a response. Cara's father had done as such, leaning heavily on his many connections and waiting expectantly for a grand overture from the one to whom the whispers were intended.

An emissary at last came to their front door one morning, a letter in hand from a Brendol Hux acting on behalf of his son. The letter was brief and to the point, merely stating that he had heard it rumoured Aemos Barnaba had an eligible daughter and they were accepting potential suitors. There was no need to explain who he or his son was. The surname of Hux had quickly become synonymous with power following the Battle of Endor and eventual rise of the First Order. The father was accomplished yes, an Admiral now, but his son was currently the general in charge of the First Order's prize warship, the Finalizer. It was to him the whispers had been directed, and Cara's father had clapped his hands at the breakfast table upon reading it, smiling from ear to ear.

The letter stated that upon hearing confirmation Cara was still eligible the Admiral and his son would arrive to meet her and the family for themselves before determining a wedding date. Lord Barnaba's hasty reply was sent with the afternoon post and a response came the next morning that they would arrive in 3 days' time.

Overjoyed, her father sent the grand house into a tizzy trying to ready themselves and prepare. There had been no shortage of pomp displayed for the matches of all her other siblings, but Cara had seen the trembling in her father's hands as he rested by the fire at night, clutching his glass of whiskey with shaky hands. To be allied with the wrong family at such a perilous time as this could be disastrous for everyone, but to be aligned with the right family... well, that was something else entirely.

Their visit from the Huxes was brief and perfunctory. The two men arrived on a dark shuttle, both dressed in black and striding down the airstrip of Cara's family home high up in the air above the city below. Her role was minuscule, she was to stand there silently and look pretty while her father worked his charms and the father and son could admire what they were essentially looking to purchase.

The idea grated on her nerves that she was only an object for possession in their eyes -- a vessel to be used and bred whenever her husband felt the inclination, however gently or violently he pleased.

When she first saw him he was taller than she'd expected. Very tall in fact, and she breathed a sigh of relief. One of her biggest fears about her new husband was that he would be short like her and their future children would be dwarfs. The fiery red hair was a surprise though. She had not met many redheads in her life and she found the colour fascinating. His father stood next to him, almost equal in stature but not quite, and his bright hair had faded to orange and was now tinged with gray. She could not deny that her intended was handsome, however every time she glanced at his face to try and read him his expression was so severe she wondered if he 'd not been dragged along in this unwillingly.

Cara understood the role of a wife in such a situation; her father enunciated it very clearly to her. After the men left, promising to return within one week for the ceremony, her father sat her down between himself and her mother to explain what she could expect in her future life.

Men aboard the Finalizer, especially powerful men like General Hux, typically did not have wives or if they did they would leave them elsewhere, on their home planet or another of their choosing and visit periodically when they had time or felt the need. Her husband was to do the same. Aemos had generously offered their summer villa on Naboo as a 'love nest' for the happy young couple. After the wedding she and General Hux would journey there together, consummate their marriage and then most likely he would only visit once or twice a year to attempt and get her pregnant. She would beget sons and daughters for the future Hux dynasty and live out her days peacefully tending to her children until they came of age – of age for what though he did not elaborate.

Her stomach rolled at the thought of carrying a child for a man she barely knew, especially one who always looked as if there was something particularly unpleasant underneath his nose. Still, she knew better than to argue. If what her father said was true she was a great deal more fortunate than many young girls whose families had secured similar matches. There were only a few, but the girls she knew had all been married off to sour, old men like the Admiral instead of young, forbearing ones like his son. Given the choice she wasn't sure which she would have picked, but then again, the choice had never been hers to begin with.

The day of her wedding the sky was murky and grey, much like her mood at the thought of what today represented. Rain began to fall as she ate her breakfast privately in her room, watching the horizon for the same shuttle the men arrived on before, the blue satin of her bathrobe slipping from her shoulder as she leaned over to look out the window.

It wasn't until an hour later when her maids were dressing her in the smooth, tight-fitting gown her mother had helped her select (one small measure of control afforded to her by her father) the material draping down her back and around her curves that she saw the same shuttle as before, only this time there were two.

Of course there's two nitwit, you're supposed to leave together for your 'honeymoon,' she thought bitterly to herself. The wedding itself was not what worried her, rather all that was to come in the days and years afterwards. She had braced herself for what a wedding would entail; she had seen enough of those, but a marriage, especially to a stranger, that was something else entirely.

Her sisters had tried to kindly instruct her on what to expect from her wedding night, and her duties forthwith. There had been no agreement as to how long the General would stay with her on Naboo after the wedding, indeed he could leave the next morning for all she knew. She was not to expect love or affection, or even kind treatment from him though outright abuse would draw the ire of many families so she would most likely be spared from that. Still, her role was simply as a bed warmer and a brood cow unless otherwise called upon; nothing more.

The ceremony was performed in her parent's expansive parlour room, only immediate family in attendance. She noted that the only people present for this cold, impassive man were his father and a small host of Stormtroopers waiting aboard the metal ramp that led into the shuttle meant to carry the newlyweds away.

She could have sworn she saw his eyes widen when he first beheld her in her dress, but that was the only reaction she received from him. No eye contact at the altar, no reassuring hand to hold as she waited for the necessary words to be spoken. Their one physical interaction was the moment his fingers placed the ring on hers and the contact between their skins sparked like electricity. Her eyes lifted to meet his in that moment but if he took notice he didn't show it; by the time her face peered up at him he was staring at the officiant once more.

A brief reception followed the ceremony with tea sandwiches and platters of fruit and cheese. Cara was to have a full dinner with her new husband upon arrival at the villa on Naboo. During the reception the women and the men generally were separate, with the exception of her mother who stood by her father's side with the Admiral and the groom, surrounded by Cara's 2 brothers and 3 brother-in-laws. From her perch across the room with the women of her family, Cara thought their conversation seemed lively, and she even caught the Admiral laughing once at something her father had said, but she could see no reaction for her husband at all. Oh dear, this wasn't going to be very fun.

After an hour her father clapped his hands, signaling to the servants that it was time to collect his daughter's last few belongings which had not already been fastidiously packed. Those few items she'd used this morning – her hairbrush, robe, pyjamas and the like were quickly folded and taken aboard the shuttle while Cara's sisters fussed over her hair and makeup one final time.

"Remember to try and relax the first time," her eldest sister whispered conspiratorially, "It will help it hurt less if you don't tense up."

"Don't initiate anything in the bedroom. Let him take the lead."

"Try to make sure he takes you on your back and rest with your pelvis propped up afterwards. It's the best way to ensure conception."

"Don't worry if it doesn't happen the first time. It can take several months in some cases."

Cara's head swirled with all the murmurs of last minute advice and she clung tightly to her mother's hand when she felt it slip comfortingly into her own. Before now she hadn't even considered that there were other ways of copulation than lying on her back and letting him tire himself out. She'd also never given much thought to the ideas of how best to conceive, always assuming it was something that just 'happened' when a man and a woman did what married people do. Then again, she was 19, and had little experience interacting with men outside of her own family.

The wind had let up outside thankfully, but the rain persisted and on the landing where the shuttle was left Cara looked nervously at the water cascading around them, worrying how she was to keep her hair and makeup the same when the elements seemed to conspire against her. A dark shadow appeared by her side and she looked to see her husband hovering over her ominously, his black clothing made him seem all the larger and more imposing, his red hair almost comically contrasted with the grey of the sky around them.

Aemos rushed forth with a huge umbrella, holding it over his daughter's head protectively as if she might try to run towards the shuttle and ruin all the efforts they had made with her appearance in order to please the General. She had no such inclinations, preferring to wait for someone to produce a solution to the problem, but her mouth quirked in a half smile at the way her father doted on her – even if it was for her husband's benefit and not hers.

With one last hug to each family member and a deep curtsy to her new father-in-law, Cara felt the General's hand gently on her elbow guiding her down the steep pathway to the waiting shuttle. At the foot of the metal ramp she turned and looked back at her family one last time, waving slightly and trying to memorise their faces, not sure when she would see them again. Hux's hand on her lower back did not feel lewd, but mildly possessive, and he turned her away so the ramp could close and guided her to their part of the shuttle.

It was not a huge ship, but not little either. There was a small comfortable area accessible by a door behind the cockpit where she was greeted with two rows of plush seats facing each other and warm lighting. Hux gestured she was to take the side across from him and so she sat down, alone for the first time with the man who was her husband.

He looked back at her cryptically, his eyes betraying nothing of what he was thinking. Cara was moderately good at reading people, but this man seemed accustomed to keeping his feelings hidden. She wasn't sure if that boded well or not for her future with him.

"You looked beautiful today," he spoke to her for the first time, his voice low and appreciative.

Her hands were folded in her lap where the ends of her curls had dangled over her shoulders to pool together, their softness framing her face in ringlets. "Thank you," she replied, validated that at least he did find her attractive. The look she saw from him at the altar had not been her imagination.

Their ride to Naboo took a few hours; most of it was spent in silence. Hux stayed in his seat, hands busy with a couple of datapads and Cara leaned her head back, eventually dozing off.

When she woke up General Hux was gone, a stack of datapads left where he had been sitting. Cara was unsure whether she was supposed to get up and look for him or remain where she was. She opted in favour of the latter when she glanced out the small circular window across from her and saw the bright, sunny planet of Naboo: The ship was beginning its descent.

Nervously, she fiddled with the ring on her left hand and watched the shades of green and blue draw closer until she began to make out distinct shapes and borders where the colours met and the land and the sea collided. The mountain peaks came into focus allowing Cara to see the distant waterfalls that meant they were close to her summer home. Wait, she reminded herself, Your permanent home.

If someone asked, Cara would have freely told them that she much preferred life on Naboo to her planet in the Taponi sector. While the villa was certainly bordering on ostentatious, there was none of the pressure to perform socially for other noble families and the like, the looming threat of public embarrassment and excommunication never seemed to follow her family when they came to Naboo. Here they could just be.

Upon landing she looked out the window and continued to wait, assuming someone would be along shortly to collect her. Right on cue, the door whooshed open and her husband reappeared, his face still expressionless and unreadable, but she remembered his compliment from earlier and tried to reason with herself that this might simply be his manner, and she would get used to it in time.

The General stepped forward and hesitantly offered her his hand, "My lady," he addressed her formally. She took his hand and felt the strength his tall figure exuded move through her as he pulled her body up to standing with little effort. Another prickle of electricity seemed to burn through her at his touch.

They disembarked the ship together, blinking rapidly into the sunlight—a stark contrast to the weather earlier that day. The sun had begun making it's descent for the night and the sky was tinging with soft pinks and oranges to prove it. The General took her hand softly in his and linked it under his arm before they stepped down the ramp to another tall walkway just wide enough that they were flanked by Stormtroopers on every side as they tread the path towards the house.

Looming ostensibly above them, her family's summer home had been in their possession for generations. Tough limestone walls bleached white by the sun were built into the mountain, the red clay roof burning hot to the touch for little feet daring enough to climb it during the summer. Most bedrooms were large and even with a growing family there was usually enough rooms for everyone to have their own space.

Cara looked up at the balcony to her old childhood room and wondered absently if they would be staying there tonight, before remembering that she was now the lady of this house, and her husband the Lord. The Lord and Lady slept in in the master chambers.

She swallowed at the thought of what she was expected to perform in a couple hours' time, but kept her gaze focused on not falling from the narrow path or accidentally tripping and sending an unsuspecting Stormtrooper tumbling to their death. One of the servant's sons fell from here when he was a boy, careless and running too fast for such a perilous location. He'd slipped almost at the end where the walkway met the stone path on the mountain, falling over the edge and plunging into the forest below. It was a somber summer after that – Cara's family was not overtly generous with their servants, but they treated them significantly better than many other noble families treated theirs. Once the body had been retrieved they'd buried him high up on the mountain, the craggy rocks above and below ensuring that few if any would ever disturb his resting place.

She squeezed her husband's arm tighter at the memory and he looked at her briefly for some explanation before fixing his eyes back on the path at the end of the walkway.

Inside the villa she was relieved to see familiar faces – her father had sent a few servants from home, opting to train new ones for himself so that his daughter could have some additional comfort in the long years she would be confined here. At least until she had children he reasoned, she would need other people she knew to keep her company during her husband's long absences.

The entry doors were thrown open dramatically for them and the General led her inside, continuing to steer her with the arm she had entwined with his own. It felt strangely intimate, to be this close with a man she knew nothing about apart from he was powerful, but... the man was her husband. It was actually a common trait for matches that neither saw each other much before the wedding. Generally they did speak together a few times, if for no other reason than to ensure the other didn't have an impossibly high-pitched nasal voice which might drive the other to insanity over the course of 50 years. Of course in her husband's line of work 50 years of marriage seemed unlikely. She wasn't sure how old the Admiral was, but the things she heard about the General's profession led her to believe it was a highly dangerous job. She might actually become a widow before a mother.

In the center of the entry room he stopped and rounded on her, looking deeply into her eyes for the first time and she gasped to see the bright green pupils in his face staring impenetrably down into her own blue ones. "Would you like to freshen up before dinner?" he asked politely.

She watched how his mouth moved when he spoke – the way his cheekbones lifted with certain words and caused his eyes to crinkle slightly. "If that is what you wish my Lord," she murmured demurely.

He seemed to regard her warily, as if uncertain on whether she was being genuine. Although he was a man used to being obeyed without question, in areas such as this he was lost as to how to proceed. Having a whore brought to his room aboard the Finalizer for a night was different than being married and having obligations to someone. While he knew she must be all too conscious of her duty to provide him with children, he looked down at this girl at least 10 years younger than him and saw someone almost a child herself. He felt a keen awareness of his own duty towards her. He could not be the husband a girl of her upbringing would have come to expect, he could not be present daily or oftentimes even frequently and unlike the standards for her conduct, women in her place knew not to expect affection or fidelity from their husbands. Yet still he was struck by the urge he felt to if not make her happy, at least not make her miserable.

"I want you to do what you wish," he replied carefully, "We have an hour yet until dinner. I assume you know where our chambers are. If you would like to refresh yourself beforehand you are welcome to do so, otherwise the hour is yours to do as you please. I will be down here working on some things until it is time."

His tone was not stern like his father's, and it gave her the impression that this was no trick or mind game; she really was free to do as she wanted. She knew that would be true of all her days when they were apart, but her sisters led her to believe that a husband of his power and position would come with a great many demands. As it was he hardly seemed interested in her.

The General departed for the study where she saw the stack of datapads they'd left on the shuttle were already neatly placed on the large desk waiting for him. Behind her was the ornate dining room being prepared lavishly by the servants for the Lord and Lady to dine soon. The distinct smell of meat and something hearty she could not place wafted all the way out to her from the kitchens.

Her feet found their way to the stairs and she plodded up the marble steps daintily, recalling the times she and her siblings slid down the smooth banisters when their parents weren't looking. The servants never told, merely smiling at the children doing what children are wont to do when not under direct supervision.

Upstairs she turned out of habit towards her old room and then remembered her things would not be in there. Cara spun on her heel and went the opposite way, looking over the railing as she did in case her husband changed his mind and had decided to come up.

In the bathroom she drew her own water, soaking in the tub until the bubbles began to disperse and the temperature grew chilly. She made sure to keep her hair and face out of the water, not wanting to ruin the hard work her maid had put into her appearance that morning. More than anything, she wanted to still look as beautiful to her husband at dinner as she had during their wedding, even if he hardly noticed the effort.

When a servant came upstairs and informed her that dinner was ready she snatched the towel she'd left lying next to the tub, hurrying to dry dress herself appropriately in one of her summer gowns used exclusively on Naboo. After she finished and gave one last look in the mirror to ascertain if she was presentable, she scurried down the steps, making her way toward the dining room.

The General was standing by the open doors waiting for her when she arrived; indeed he had watched her descent with muted interest. He was not a vain man per se, but he was a proud one in many respects. After his father had sent word that he'd found a suitable bride for his son, noting her exceptional beauty in his message, Hux was reluctantly persuaded into taking an afternoon visit to the planet she called home and see for himself whether she lived up to the term. He had not been disappointed. It was impossible to be ignorant of the reasons behind her father securing the match with him rather than another noble in the Tapani sector, but he was so taken with her extraordinary looks upon meeting her – those blue eyes, perfect teeth, the smooth creamy skin and a sweet innocence about her had created in him a burgeoning need to possess her for his own. General Hux did not need a wife, nor did he particularly want one, but he knew the expectation existed and that in order to secure the proud dynasty began by his father he would need heirs. Cara Barnaba had looked every bit the part of a woman he would be willing to have bear them.

Contrary to popular belief, General Hux could be kind and patient, when it was with people he did not hold a military position of power over. The fact was just that he very seldom encountered people who did not belong in that group and so years of fastidious military service left him unsure how to act when around the civilian population. Day in and day out for over 2 decades he'd been surrounded by stern figures shouting demands until gradually he became the one barking out orders. This girl seemed delicate, yet stronger than she looked at the same time. The curve of her hips and the swell of her breasts radiated the impression of a woman in the prime of her life to birth children. He knew most women craved motherhood, and that there were few areas in which he could be a satisfactory husband for her; as he watched her supple body approach the doors to the dining room he was reminded of his husbandly duties towards her tonight that with luck would result in giving her what he assumed she wanted from him.

"Good evening," he greeted her first, taking in the same features from earlier but which seemed softer and more relaxed now in her loose summer gown and skin still damp from the bath.

"Good evening General," her eyes lowered reservedly, and he internally cursed himself for not having said something to make her more at ease around him. He didn't consider himself a man given over to such trivialities as having 'fun' and forming romantic attachments, but the guardedness she exuded in his presence unsettled him for some reason.

"Come," he stretched his arm in the direction of the dining room she had eaten in for months at a time her entire life, "Let's dine together."

Obediently she followed, allowing his hands to pull out a chair for her diagonal to the one he took at the head of the table. One of the servants in charge snapped his fingers as soon as the Lord and Lady were seated properly and a troupe of 4 other servants scurried out from the kitchen bearing platters of food—steam escaping from the metal tops covering the trays.

The dinner was a roast with vegetables and assorted fruits. Man and wife waited for their servings to be loaded onto their plates, Cara catching a wink from Mira, one of the girls she'd known for years. Originally she had been born to one of their maids, growing up alongside the noble children though never being completely part of them. Sometimes Cara would give her old items and clothes she no longer had use for, and they'd developed a tentative friendship back on her home planet. She was glad her father had seen fit to send Mira with her – it would be a comfort in the long years ahead.

"Do you like it?" he husband interrupted her thoughts to ask.

"Hmm? Oh yes, it's all wonderful," she assured him, looking at her plate to realise she'd barely taken a few bites.

"Really? You've hardly touched it. If you'd prefer something else I can have the servants prepa—"

"There's no need!" she told him a little too vehemently, "It's one of my favourites, that's probably why they made it. I'm just nervous is all." She dropped her gaze lower to stare at the hand resting in her lap. Why couldn't I have just kept my mouth shut?

The silence that followed was too unnerving though and when she raised her eyes to look at him she finally saw a new expression, one of understanding.

"It's normal to be nervous," he said, his fork left on the plate as he leaned back in his chair and wove his fingers together.

"Is it?"

"Very. What are you most nervous about?"

Emboldened by his kindness, she stumbled through the words before she could think better of saying them, "I just don't know you – anything about you really. I don't even know your first name. How old you are. Your favourite colour, food, interests..." her voice trailed off, "And you don't know anything about me. Yet now we're married. It all feels a little bit surreal."

The General looked down at his plate and nodded, "Well, to start my first name is Armitage, though I would prefer you call me anything other than that. I'm 32, my favourite colour is blue, my favourite food is any kind of meat, my interests... well let's just say there are only a few and they are rather varied," he looked her up and down when he said it although she was too focused on sorting her vegetables by colour to notice it. "What about you?" he asked her, "I know you're 19, your first name is Cara, but what else do you want me to know as your husband?"

She looked up from her task with the vegetables, clearing her throat nervously, "There's not much to know. My favourite colour is green, my favourite food is sweets, and—" she hesitated, "I'm interested in a lot of things; the arts, history, being outdoors." She winced at how childish she must sound, becoming tight-lipped as she contemplated what amusement he must be finding in this.

"I see. Those are all worthy things to occupy your time with. But you're still nervous, what else do you want to know?"

Cara held back from asking it as long as she could before the question weaseled its way out of her. "Will you hurt me?" she whispered feebly, hating how tremulous her voice sounded, like a pitiful child who has been naughty but doesn't want to be punished. While it would look bad on him to be outright abusive to his wife no woman of noble birth knew enough about her husband before marriage to determine whether he had darker desires than appearances might lead them to believe. Although it reflected poorly on them, nobles in particular were not subject to the same laws and thus could treat their wives however they wished with little to no repercussions.

He exhaled with a sigh at her question, "No Cara, I will never try to hurt you. I might be aloof at times, and hard to read, but my marriage and my work I will do my best to keep separate. If I'm planning to visit and find myself in a foul mood I may delay it by a day or so, if I think I might be too sour to put up with."

She sensed he was making a joke with her and she gave a little smile, but still his face was indecipherable. To call himself aloof might have been a bit of an understatement. Cara also ascertained that he had not deduced the real purpose of that question. Or perhaps he had and did not wish to answer it.

"I must leave tomorrow morning to return to the Finalizer and resume my duties there. I will be back at the next convenient time to see you, perhaps in a month or so."

"Yes, sir." There was no point in arguing, not that she was sure she wanted him to stay or go. A few tidbits of information about him hardly changed the fact that she knew very little of her new life partner. As such she was indifferent about whether he stayed away for a month or a year. There was no way to know which would be more beneficial for her yet.

"Do you want me to wake you in the morning so you can see me off?"

"Yes sir," she repeated.

He continued to watch her freely, and after several more minutes of her shoveling food to different corners of her plate he asked her, "Are you full now?"

Nodding mutely she heard the snap of fingers again from the head servant as the others rushed to clear their plates, noting how pale their mistress looked but saying nothing. It was universally known that most women feared their wedding night, even more so when it would be spent with a complete stranger.

The General stood and held out his hand to her expectantly. She took it, using what felt like all of her willpower to stand when he pulled out her chair for her. Together they climbed the wide marble staircase, turning left to where her parent's former room waited for them; the doors already left open expectantly.

A huge four poster canopy bed occupied the middle of the room, dressers and wardrobes tucked into the remaining wall spaces. Three sets of double doors were also open to the expansive balcony overlooking the peaks and valleys below, allowing the wind to sweep up the mountains and bring in the floral scent of cool summer air.

"Would you like to change first?" he asked her quietly, and her breathing quickened as she nodded and released his hand, making her way to the bathroom.

Theservants had already laid out something for her to wear, a shimmery blue nightie with a matching bottom half made of little more than strings which did little to conceal anything but that which the General would inevitably see anyways. Cara understood the purpose was to tantalise, to entice her husband so that he would come back whenever he could to breed her frequently until he was satisfied she had done her wifely duties by him. It was inevitable, her sisters told her, that he had been with many, many women before her, which might make the process of sex longer because he would have more stamina than a lusty teenager, but thinking of that now brought no comfort to her anxious heart.

She lingered in front of the mirror, running her hands down the slip experimentally to see how it might feel to the General's fingers. He had told her to call him anything but Armitage, but she wasn't sure what title that left her to use. At this point it was better to talk as little as possible and just listen for his subtle clues on what he wanted and would like for his wife to do. That was her mission in marriage, if she was to fulfill her ultimate purpose in bearing him sons.

Cara's palm stopped over her womb and she let it rest there for a moment, imaging how it might swell when the General's baby grew inside of her, stretching her body to its limits before it came time to give birth. She shuddered at the notion, terrified at the thought of childbirth but knowing that was the exclusive reason for which she had been selected for him. The Hux lineage must be secured in order to propagate a future dynasty – one which she would inevitably be a chief player in.

A cough behind the closed bathroom door reminded her that she had undoubtedly tarried for too long in her and she took a deep, slow breath before opening the door and stepping back into the cool room.

The General was waiting – seated on the bed with his head in his hands as if thoroughly tired. Briefly, she wondered if he would have the energy to perform but when he stood and walked over to her purposefully she knew that hope was in vain. She had been bought for breeding after all; there was no need to delay the inevitable. At least he leaves in the morning she reminded herself.

He was slower and gentler than she expected. His large hands gingerly helped her lift the nightie she wore and he stared down at her, holding his breath before exhaling loudly and cupping the back of her neck to bring her face to his. Hesitantly she gripped his sides, trying not to dig in but too inexperienced to speculate on what he would want her to do. This whole process was for him after all.

His free hand stroked her stomach then trailed behind to hold her back as his mouth explored her own. A pleasant feeling seemed to be broiling within her as his tongue wrestled with hers, though her kissing experience had never included that particular appendage. Naked but for her sultry lingerie bottoms, she felt shy when he pulled his mouth away, his eyes closing with a groan. That was when she felt the pressure of something stabbing her in the stomach and she looked down in apprehension to see the way his black pants tented in her direction.

Uncertain if she should, but desperate to do something to alleviate her self-consciousness at standing almost nude in front of a fully clothed man; even though that man was her husband, Cara's nimble fingers worked at the buttons on his uniform jacket, starting from the top and pleased to see his own hands began unbuttoning from the bottom. When the job was done they wrested the apparel from his shoulders together before he took her face in both hands and kissed her again. She was becoming more accustomed to the feeling of his tongue in her mouth, and a pleasant burning had begun in her lower regions which her sisters never told her anything about.

After an unsuccessful effort to help him divest his pants, the General groaned again and released her face, undoing the fastenings which held them up and pulling down both his pants and underwear in one motion.

She stood terrified now, staring down at her husband's appendage which looked much too large to fit inside her. The mechanics of sex she was well versed in (or so she thought) but she had not expected to see her husband so big. Tentatively, she reached out to touch his shoulders in a silent plea to take her in his arms again, though she did not understand the urge any more than the warm feelings inside her which seemed to burn hotter when his skin touched hers.

His arms suddenly wrapped tight around her, lifting her off the floor and she gave a light squeak at the pressure, although she wasn't sure she wanted him to stop. Half-carrying and half-dragging her across the room he pulled back the covers and laid her down gradually onto the soft feather mattress, his eyes locked onto hers. When he freed himself from her grip she whimpered at the loss of contact. A small tug at the corner of his lips was the closest thing she had seen to a smile from him yet.

Blissful didn't begin to describe how she felt when his hard, sinewed body rejoined hers on the bed, bearing hers down into the mattress as she curved her arms around his back, trying to bridge the gap between them. His mouth found hers again and he kissed her with a ferocity she had never expected could come from such an action, arching her body against his wantonly.

She was lost in the sensations generated by his kissing when he nudged her thighs apart with his knee and knelt in front her on the bed. Above them the drapes of the canopy swung in the breeze and she felt the cool wind brush her cheek just as the initial onslaught of pain began.

Her sisters had prepared her for it to hurt. They described it as a stinging pain that gave way to a dull ache. This was something else though. This was agony, akin to torture as her mouth opened in a silent cry. His eyes widened down at her as she tried to stifle the scream that caught in her throat.

"I'm sorry," he whispered in her ear as he thrust again, "It won't hurt like this next time."

The reassurance was lost on her as she felt her insides stretched to the brim. Cara was unsure if this exceptional pain was because she was especially small or her husband was especially big. Those were questions she would ponder later when the pain finally gave way to stinging and then the dull ache she had been promised. Now it was all she could do to dig her nails into his back and grit her teeth as she tried to bear it.

"So damn tight," he murmured into her ear. His movements sped up, and she sensed he was trying to rush through it in order to make the entire thing over with sooner for her. It took a few more minutes of his steady thrusting before it picked up tempo again and she heard him grunt loudly as he collapsed on top of her, his chest sticky with sweat from his exertions.

There she lay, pinned underneath him with his head buried in her shoulder, heavily breathing hot air against her ear. Her pain was still deep and intense, but as he began to soften it lessened somewhat and she shifted beneath him, beginning to find it hard to breathe herself with his full weight atop her. Finally he pulled himself out of her and rolled onto the side, leaving the wetness he had just deposited inside of her to seep out onto the sheets.

Her husband was still trying to catch his breath when he leaned on one side and propped his head in his hand, using the other to stroke her cheek gently. "I'm sorry," he whispered again in the darkness, the light of Tasia, the ice moon, spilling into the room through the open balcony to cast its beams across the bed.

Cara didn't respond to her husband's apology, she merely shifted onto her side to face him, watching for some expression to play out on his face. None came.

Eventually she felt his hand drop from her cheek onto the mattress and heard the telltale breathing of deep sleep overtake him. She watched his face, less stern now but still unreadable even in slumber. His normally slicked back hair was unkempt and hung forward over his forehead, sticking out at odd angles and she remembered with some embarrassment how she had clung to it when he kissed her. The pale skin of his arms and shoulders almost glowed in the moonlight and she reached out a hand to stroke down his chest, observing the hard planes of his muscles with some interest.

He had not been unkind, she observed, rather he seemed to treat most everything as a matter of duty. If not for the sticky evidence still leaking out of her onto the bed she might have questioned whether he had derived any pleasure from it at all.

When sleep finally found her it was fitful, her mind afraid for some reason of waking up in the morning and him already being gone. He had asked her if she wanted to see him off and she'd said yes, but would he renege on the offer and slip away without notice? There had not been enough time spent between them for him to have built up her trust enough to believe that he meant what he said.

In the dim morning light as the sun crept over the horizon, blasting it's rays into the room to warm her bare back, she woke with a start to see the General still where he'd fallen asleep that night, his gaze settled onto her with a muted interest as his fingers trailed along her arms.

"Good morning," he spoke softly, but still he did not smile.

"Good morning," Cara repeated with a half-smile. She stretched languidly like a cat and yawned, not noticing that the sheet covering her breasts fell when she did and his eyes gravitated towards them. Once she realised what she had done she watched his face for a reaction of any kind, the ache between her legs still burned and she wondered if he meant to have her again before he left. The heat she felt between them made her wonder if she would even object.

"How do you feel?" he asked, eyes furrowing in an unnatural show of concern.

"Sore," she admitted with a grimace, then castigated herself. As a wife her first thought was to be of her husband. There would be ample time to soak her limbs in the tub once he had left. If she was to do her duty and bear him children, she must always be able and willing to meet his sexual needs.

He didn't seem upset, merely nodding at her admission, and then gripped the edge of the blankets, tugging upwards once before throwing them off to survey the damage.

Cara's face burned with embarrassment at him seeing her naked in this early morning light. Her hair was like his, erratically disheveled and it would likely take the whole of the afternoon for her maid to work all the knots out of it. The covers had concealed what little modesty she still possessed from him, but the chief source of her mortification was the state of the sheets they lay upon.

Smears of blood mixed with dark spots from his own emissions as they both gauged the state of things. Cara averted his eyes when he told her it was very normal, especially for her first time. She didn't ask how he knew these things, she didn't want to think about how many other virginities he must have taken.

"I need to shower and eat before I go," he stated simply, rolling off of the bed, "Would you still like to join me?"

Uncertain whether both the activities he listed were for her to join or just the second one, she stood awkwardly from the bed and looked at the mess of blood and semen one last time before following him towards the bathroom.

The General turned out the faucets in the shower, waiting as the room filled up with steam while he tried to find the right temperature for the water.

"After you," he finally said, holding the tall glass door open for her and she stepped inside, painfully aware of how uncomfortable she still was around him in her nakedness. He joined her immediately afterwards, closing the door behind him and standing in front of her, the double showerheads raining hot water down on both of them. Hesitant to clean herself in front of him, Cara nonetheless used the hair products the servants had left in there for her, the shampoo that smelled like honey and the conditioner which made her hair smell like one of the orchards. After a few minutes she realized the General was watching her again, a soapy washcloth in his hand. She stood still as he stepped in front of her and lathered the cloth before pressing it against her skin, rubbing in circles across her chest.

Eventually his ministrations moved to her arms and back, then, turning her to face away from him he lightly scrubbed her buttocks then brought the cloth to her front, eliciting a gasp from her when it delved downward and softly scrubbed through her folds, removing the blood and cum that had dried there overnight, Cara's head leaning back onto his shoulder as his other hand wrapped around her waist.

The familiar burning from earlier last night replaced the aching and she felt herself arch against him quite unbecomingly. Her husband tightened his grip around her waist and the washcloth stilled as he fought to control himself. She is still in pain his brain reminded him Now is not the time to take her again. But he didn't have long before he needed to leave. Knowing Kylo Ren the ship would already be half-destroyed when he returned; if he stayed away much longer it might soon be a hunk of bolts floating in space...

Abruptly the General's hands released her and he turned away from her back to his showerhead, trying to conceal his erection as he busied himself using the washcloth to scrub his own body before turning off the shower and grabbing the first towel in sight.

Stunned by how quickly the situation had changed, Cara quickly rinsed out her hair and then fumbled for a towel herself; the General had already vacated the bathroom.

After she came out she found him standing by the bed, re-buttoning the black shirt of his uniform, his pants and shoes already on. He spared her a glance before a curt, "I'll meet you downstairs," and then he turned and left.

Bewildered by his response, Cara shook her head and marveled at how strange the man could be. She dressed quickly, retrieving her dress from the previous evening and pulling her blue satin robe over it before heading downstairs, her bare feet plodding on the hard marble.

Already seated at the head of the table, the General was tucking in to a breakfast of eggs, toast and sausage when she entered. One of the servants in the corner of the room closest to the kitchen hurried through the doors to procure food for her mistress. She strode up to the same seat she had sat in last night, pulling out the chair and settling herself in it. All the while he said nothing.

Breakfast was brought for Cara as well and they ate in silence save for the quiet sounds of utensils against plates and glasses being raised to lips then back onto the table. When the General was finished he stood without warning, pushing his seat away from the table as though he were in deep frustration with something. Still perplexed as to what was bothering him Cara stood as well, abandoning her half-eaten food in favour of following him to the front doors and out onto the lawn.

The walk back to the shuttle was shorter than she would have liked. She longed for him to speak to her—say something which would give her a clue as to what he was thinking, but his face was as inscrutable as ever. At the base of the metal ramp to the shuttle he stopped and faced her, eyes blazing with something she could not identify, but when his hands reached out to grasp her shoulders his touch was deliberately gentle.

"Send word when you find out if you are with a child," he instructed, his gaze looking off at the rising sun, "I will wait to hear from you."

"When will you come back?" she asked hopefully, already annoyed with herself for the thought of missing him, this stranger she would periodically share a bed with.

"I'm not sure. When I have time. Or when the baby comes." That's different from what he told you last night her brain said.

She didn't have time to respond before he pulled her towards him and left a damp kiss on her forehead, unbeknownst to her he closed his eyes as he did and inhaled the scent of her one last time before releasing his hold and starting up the ramp.

Cara crossed her arms over her stomach, conscious of the pressure she felt to feel something there, a premature motion which might alert her to the success of her new husband's endeavors. Instead she felt nothing, but as the shuttle ascended and she watched it zoom off into the sunrise, she reminded herself that only time would tell.


	2. The Second Attempt

The message he finally received a month after departing Naboo had been brief. Not pregnant.

Those two words stared out at him from the datapad he read it on like a silent accusation. He knew that she came from a family of women who had all successfully bred and born multiple children, so he stood contemplatively at the control panel aboard the Finalizer allowing his thoughts to wonder as to why they had been unsuccessful. All of his previous dalliances with whores and the ship concubines had been focused solely on preventing pregnancy; he wasn't sure about the methods for impregnation other than emptying himself inside her. Of course one session was hardly enough to guarantee it took, and he cursed himself for not having her again before he left the next morning. She'd been sore though, and he knew the initial act had taken a great deal out of her – the pain she tried to mask had been extremely obvious.

Hux scoped through his calendar on the datapad and saw a free afternoon the following week where he would have time to visit for a few hours before he would be expected to return. He sent a reply message to expect him on that date and huffed his frustration. So many things were expected of him from so many people and now this was one more thing on the pile. Still, in spite of his reluctance to agree to marry, he did feel a sense of responsibility to the poor girl; therefore he would sacrifice what little free time he had and return to her for a few hours.

He felt a presence behind him and turned to see Kylo Ren's black façade staring at him, that irritating helmet masking all features and glimpses as to what he might be thinking, a fact Hux was all too aware was not the case for him.

"Trouble, General?" he asked conversationally, though Hux knew he had already seen what the General was thinking of, "Marital problems already?"

"Nothing to concern you, Ren," he snapped, turning towards the wall of screens, trying to find something else to concentrate on. The familiar tickling of his brain alerted him that Ren was still pilfering through his memories with Cara, probably looking for something he could use against him.

"Can I help you?" he seethed menacingly, not bothering to hide his irritation at the man.

"Just looking," the man spoke casually through his helmet, voice distorted, "Perhaps you would have been more successful if you'd stayed a little longer General."

"And what business is it of yours how I conduct my affairs? It's not as if I can leave this ship for long without knowing if one of your tantrums will have me explaining to the Supreme Leader how you tore it to shreds in my absence."

Ren shrugged his shoulders, "She's a beautiful girl; it seems a shame that you could not enjoy her charms more than once before you left. Then again she didn't look like she enjoyed herself too much either." He walked off at those parting words, leaving Hux fuming in his wake at the implication that he had somehow already failed his young wife as a husband and a lover.

She knows not to expect affection or romance. The least you can do is give the poor girl a baby, his thoughts scolded him.

He spent the rest of the morning rearranging meetings and the like so that he could carve out a full day for her in place of the few hours he had planned to spend. If he arrived early in the morning and left after dinner it would be reasonably safe to assume those he left in charge such as Phasma and Mitaka could babysit Kylo Ren for that long.

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Cara busied herself in the weeks following her wedding with wandering the halls of her youth and whiling away the time by the pool overlooking the mountains, its edge perilously close to a violent drop off. As a girl she and her siblings had dared each other to swim directly next to the ledge, peering over to the craggy rocks and tree tops below before swimming back to the pack in terror.

The message that her husband was returning had arrived the same day she'd sent her short answer to his question as he departed: Not pregnant. The news had not been met with anger or elation from her. She was merely accepting of it, recalling her sister's words on the day of her wedding; Don't worry if it doesn't happen the first time. It can take several months in some cases.

Absently, she thought about the missive that had arrived shortly after her news (or lack thereof). The General would be returning in a few days' time, presumably to rectify the situation she had alerted him to. Cara's soreness had finally abated after a couple of days and she wondered whether a repeat of their earlier act would hurt less this time as he had assured her in the midst of copulation. She'd sent the notice to him the first day her bleeding had resumed and she knew the seed he had deposited inside her had not taken root. Her family had made some contact with her and she was grateful every day to her father for sending familiar servants here to keep her company; Mira and her cousin Dava were people she had known most of her life and on nights when she could not bear the emptiness of the dining room by herself they sat and ate with her or together supped in the kitchens.

Cara slept in most days, with no demands to speak of or company to entertain and often took long walks through the mountain trails where the shafts of sunlight filtered through the tree branches and danced on the path before her. It was a lonely life, but a peaceful one, and in that she was content.

The day before his arrival she told the servants to clean everything from top to bottom, even the guest rooms though she doubted he would notice. The only rooms they had spent any time in were the dining and bedroom. And the bathroom she reminded herself with embarrassment, recalling how she had almost moaned at the contact of his hand using the washcloth against her sex. The feelings he'd elicited within her body were so strong yet so contradictory. She felt fear, yet comfort; pain, yet some unfathomable pleasure that seemed to bloom in her nether regions and spread up throughout her body before the pain had taken its place. She ruminated once again whether the act of coitus would result in the same agony this time, or lesser.

That night she ate alone, all the servants still busily preparing the villa for the master's arrival. When she trudged up the stairs to bed the sheets were clean and pressed, the coverlet pulled back at the corner for her so the breeze could blow through and cool them before she slipped into bed.

Sleep did not come for a while; her stomach was tied in knots in apprehension of her husband's impending arrival. For an hour or so she read a book, propping her back against the headboard and reading by the light of the moon until she gradually felt herself beginning to drift off.

When she opened her eyes again the sun was shining brightly through the open balcony doors and she discovered that in the night she'd slumped to the side, her book carelessly discarded and the page she'd last been reading left unmarked. Voices in the hallway caught her attention because they sounded like they were heading for the room.

A hesitant knock on the door made Cara sit up bleary-eyed, trying to gauge what time it was. The General had not given a time for his arrival but surely he would not be here too early? He was a busy man after all. She slid off the bed and stumbled towards the door, "Yes?" she called out, before reaching the threshold.

"It's me, milady," Mira's voice answered, "Lord Hux's ship just landed a few minutes ago and he is on his way up to the house now."

Panic seized Cara and she threw open the door, "HE'S HERE?" she hissed lowly, as if afraid he might appear from the top of the stairs now, looking in on his wife to see why she had not been there to greet him when he arrived.

Mira took in the appearance of her mistress and tried to hide her smile. Even after sleeping for hours, Cara Barnaba Hux could not look anything but beautiful. A few stray flyaway hairs and the sleep in her eyes could never disguise that from anyone. She sensed her mistress's agitation though at being unprepared and entered the room quickly to grab her satin robe from the foot of the bed for her, helping Cara to don the garment before hurrying down the stairs where she hoped she would be able to beat her husband.

She was unsuccessful in this. General Hux's dark uniform stood at the bottom of the steps looking up like he had been waiting on her for awhile. The unreadable eyes watched her movements while she took the smooth marble steps as quickly as she dared without risking a fall. When she reached the bottom finally he held out his hand and took hers to his lips to kiss the back of it.

"Hello," he greeted her, taking in her flushed appearance and hair that indicated she was sleeping up until very recently. If Hux had been a man given to smiling he might have done so then, for although she looked flustered she was still radiant in this morning light.

"I'm sorry I wasn't up sooner," she apologised, looking down and realising her frumpy nightgown and robe was probably not how her husband expected to be received after a month away, "I didn't know what time you would be here and I didn't fall asleep until late." Because any given day I could sleep until noon and no one would notice she wanted to say.

"It's alright; I should have been more specific about the time. My plan was to come early and leave late so we could have the day together," his words hung heavy in the air with their sense of promise. It was not a day for talking and enjoying each other's company, it was another chance to breed her so he could go back to his ship without worry and return in 9 months to behold his child. Still, she was a dutiful and perceptive wife who knew this was the purpose behind his visit.

"I'm so glad," she smiled at him, remembering her sisters' overtures, 'Always smile. Men love a girl who smiles.'

They stood there awkwardly for a moment, Cara contemplating whether she was supposed to lead him upstairs and lie down for him immediately or was there some protocol about what should be done first? An idea came to her, "Have you had breakfast yet?"

"No, I have not," was his small reply.

"Mira," she turned her head to the maid who had followed her down the stairs at a distance, "Can you ask the kitchen to put together something for the General and I?"

"Of course my lady," Mira swept past them without wasting a moment and Cara stared down at her husband's feet rather than risk looking at his face. A gentle finger reached to cup her chin and lift her head to look at him. "Have you been well?" he asked.

"Yes!" she said a little too brightly, like she was trying to overcompensate for something, "Quite well."

"Good." He looked around at the entryway and noted how pristine everything looked. The servants had obviously been instructed to prepare for his arrival. He mentally noted this as another attribute of his wife that pleased him.

"My Lord, my lady," Mira curtsied from the doors to the dining room a few minutes later, "Your breakfast is served."

They ate in silence again save for Cara's one effort at making conversation when she asked him about his work. His reply hadn't been curt per se, but it was brusque enough that she gained the impression she ought not to ask about it again unless information was voluntarily offered. When they'd both finished he wiped his fingers on the napkin and she dabbed the corners of her mouth with hers, looking over at Mira to indicate they were ready for their plates to be cleared.

If she'd wondered how long she would have to wait before he expected her to perform her wifely duties again, she didn't wait long. He led her from the dining room straight up the steps; Cara's stomach gurgling so loudly in nervousness that she placed a hand over the flat surface to muffle it.

Inside the bedroom he looked at her much as he had the way that first night – like he was drinking her all in. The short hem of her nightgown was not nearly as risqué as the lace nightie she'd worn, but it showed enough of her body to remind him of the pleasure he'd taken in having her – in being her first. The satin of her robe slipped down off her shoulder tantalisingly and his mouth watered at the sight. Get ahold of yourself Hux, it's not like you've never seen a woman before. It's not like you've never seen this woman before. Visions of her naked body from a month ago assaulted his memories and left him weak at the thought of taking her again.

His head bent low to her bare shoulder and pushed the robe further off as he kissed the tanned skin of her neck, lightly grazing it with his teeth. When he took whores into his bed he seldom worried about their comfort or pleasure, but when he recalled her teary eyes and the way she bit her lip in an obvious attempt not to scream he wanted to make it easier for her body to accept him this time.

At the feelings of his mouth on her neck and shoulders Cara leaned her head to the side, surrendering herself to the feelings that began to stir within her once more. Her husband gripped the straps of her nightgown in his hands so tightly his knuckles were white. Momentarily afraid he might rip it off of her; she felt his rough motions pulling them down from her shoulders until both the nightgown and the robe were left pooled at her feet. The kisses on her neck distracted her from the awkwardness of standing in her cotton underwear before him; the look on his characteristically indecipherable face was ravenous.

Cara moaned a little when he pulled her tight against his body and ground his hardness against her. She could feel a damp gathering between her legs that reminded her of his secretions leaking out of her, but she scarcely had time to wonder what it was than he was pulling her with him towards the bed.

Her body hit the mattress with more force than he intended but he was sufficiently riled up and ready to rid himself of this sense of responsibility towards her. He would breed her today – as many times as possible – and then return to his ship and the duties therein with a clear conscience that he had done his job.

His clothes were discarded in a hurry as he pulled her underwear down over her pronounced hip bones then draped himself over top of her with a tense grunt. He needed to be inside her now, but first he had to make sure she was ready for him.

Arms snaked beneath her back and clutched her body against his chest so tightly she could hardly breathe. His mouth claimed hers at last and she moaned into it at the friction of his body grinding against hers, the length of his hardness situated just below its intended target as he knelt between her legs and she felt the dampness increase. What was this man doing to her?

One of his hands he trailed down her body, stopping to cup one of her ample breasts before reaching lower to dip inside the source of the growing wetness. Cara gasped at the feeling of his finger inside her – stretching her. First he used one – then two – at her moan from the insertion of the second finger he added a third and she arched against his hand – alarmed at her reaction and how lewd she must appear.

Hux was pleasantly surprised to see the passionate feelings he was able to arouse in his wife, although his face did not show it. He'd known women able to self-lubricate if given enough time and he regretted taking her so quickly before, but reminded himself that with the tightness of her channel a month ago no amount of lubrication would have helped much. The thought occurred to him as he had her spread across the bed, his member dangling between her legs and aching to fill her, that he should try and pleasure her further, take his time and readily prepare her, but the subconscious thrusting of his hips against her slit was too much to ignore and he promised himself he would see to it during another coupling session that day. Work aboard the Finalizer had been particularly tense lately and he'd avoided relieving himself with any concubines since learning of her non-conception – he was more than ready to perform multiple rounds to unleash his stress and do the job properly.

This time when he pushed into her he went so slowly she whimpered causing him to fear she was in pain again, but now when he looked at her face and saw no trace of discomfort. Once he sheathed himself completely inside her he wrapped his arms underneath her back again and squeezed her tight against him, rocking into her hips with his own.

A dazed expression overcame Cara's face and she clung to her husband's back like a piece of debris in the middle of a vast ocean. The sensations he elicited from her were so intense and she tried not to make noise as he took his pleasure but it became increasingly difficult. His thrusts were hard but gentle at the same time, and she felt a familiar soreness but nothing like the original pain. The ache within her only served to make the feelings churning in her stomach go faster as she dug her fingernails into his back and held on for dear life. Every thrust was agony, but of a different kind this time, and she whimpered in spite of herself every time he withdrew and sheathed himself in her again.

Her husband meanwhile was almost overcome with seeing the way his wife reacted to his efforts this time. Gone was the face of agony and the biting of her lip to keep from crying out. Here beneath him was a beautiful, voluptuous woman who belonged to him alone. The very thought was enough to lead to his undoing.

A few more thrusts inside her with the sting of her nails in his back and he came violently, groaning his release loudly as he collapsed on top of her, sweating profusely with the effort.

The tips of her fingers grazed his back delicately, tracing small circles as he came down from his high, although she herself had missed out on the consummate bliss her husband had experienced. It had felt good for her this time, deliciously good in fact, but she couldn't help feeling like there was another piece missing from the equation on her end.

Eventually the General rolled off of her still trying to ease his breathing and reached for her hand, pulling her across his chest to lay her head against his shoulder. Cara watched the gentle vibrations of his neck as his pulse gradually tapered and the way he licked his lips which were dry from such heavy breathing. He applied his lips to her forehead in another chaste kiss reminiscent of the one he'd given upon departing the morning after their wedding. Confused but pleased Cara listened to the sound of his heart and wrapped her arm tighter around his torso.

"Are you alright?" he finally asked, looking down to her face as if to ascertain whether the answer she gave was truthful.

"Yes," she smiled, "Quite alright."

"Did I hurt you this time?"

She shook her head, the flowery scent of her hair reaching his nose, "It hurt a little, but nothing like the last time."

His chin rested on the top of her head and she felt his jaw move on her scalp as he responded, "Good."

They slept after that, the General exhausted, and Cara spent too, though she still felt high strung somehow in spite of a much less painful coupling. Is there anything else to this for the woman she wondered before drifting off to sleep, lulled by the sound of her husband's gentle breathing, Or is all that buildup supposed to end with an aching decline?

She woke to the stroking of his fingers on her back this time and the sound of birds twittering in the trees outside the balcony. When he felt her stir that General rolled her over onto her back again and reached down to test the channel he had only recently vacated. Still wet with the oozing fluids he'd left inside her, he slipped in again easily and resumed a steady rhythm which she found to be tolerable and almost pleasurable if she were not still in the early stages of waking.

This mating was brief; she knew it to be entirely a means to an end. One more attempt by the General to leave his seed inside her in the hopes that it would take root and reward him with what he desired. And her? What did she want? She loved children, and the General was not an unkind man, she could think of much worse people to be a father to her child – yet something felt missing in the act itself. She knew better than to expect words of love and affection, they would only be falsehoods uttered to assuage her womanly notions of romance. Nevertheless, she felt her heart pining for some semblance of it with the man for whom she would bear children.

When the General finished inside her this time he rose lethargically, like his feet weren't sure if they could hold him, and she looked down the length of her naked body to see his own as he strode towards the bathroom, leaving her to let the deposit he'd left inside her womb do its work.

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He took her twice more this way before the afternoon began drawing to a close. Both of these times she felt the familiar stirrings of some form of pleasure within her, but during each one he'd been hurried in his attentions, as though trying to maximize his efforts to make up for the short amount of time in which he had to bestow them.

They ate a light lunch of fruit and cheese before he took her the 3rd and 4th time, Cara nibbling the grapes and looking down at her naked stomach expectantly, waiting to see some sign that her body was responding to the purpose of the General's visit. None came, and thus he took her again to bed twice before the sun began to set and she asked for a reprieve in order to eat.

She knew it was not her place to decline at all, but after an entire day of feeling him thrust into her with abandon and the steady tension she felt tightening in her body like a string about to snap, she wanted a break. Not to mention the fact that she was starving.

Hux agreed to eat dinner together again down in the dining room. He'd had a productive and (hopefully) fruitful afternoon with his young wife and needed the chance to refuel himself. His anxiousness after a week of celibacy had diminished somewhat from his ardent attentions to Cara. The rigidness in his shoulders seemed to have relaxed and he felt almost jovial, though he noticed Cara appeared to enjoy it less and less each time for some reason. He'd done his best to ensure she was not in pain and she seemed to derive some real pleasure from their initial encounter that morning, but in the 3 sessions since she'd laid there more or less allowing him to finish, every once in a while holding onto his shoulders or back tightly but never so much as before.

On the journey downstairs he contemplated how he might also help her to enjoy his attentions more, recalling his promise to himself to drag out her pleasure, to tease her body until it gushed for him. On the outside he held the normal stoic expression, but internally, he smiled at the thought of what he planned to do to her in an hour's time.

Dinner was delicious again – he thought he caught some sideways glances between the servants with some winks and hushed giggles thrown in for good measure. Normally he would have demanded an explanation and threatened punishment but these were young servant girls, not well-trained Stormtroopers. They'd undoubtedly been talking about the activities of the Lord and Lady for most of the day and probably speculating on the results.

Hux looked down at his wine glass at the thought. Was she pregnant now? Could he be rid of the monkey on his back after this one final visit? While not wholly inconvenient it was a bit of a journey for him and likely when she did become pregnant the last thing she would want was the sexual advances of her husband, especially one who was for all intents and purposes a stranger to her.

He took another sip of the wine and watched her pop another grape into her mouth. They did not speak often, though he didn't think much of it because in his life in the military, they were taught not to speak unless they had something important to say. Women were known for enjoying idle chatter and gossip; he was relieved that his wife did not seem the type to indulge such things, or if she were, she did not attempt to engage him.

The clock on the wall told him he had little less than 2 hours before he needed to be back on his ship and return to the Finalizer. That left him ample time to carry out his plan and see if he could succeed in garnering her interest in the breeding process once again.

They didn't tarry long at the dinner table after that – Cara was more than aware her husband probably meant to have her at least once if not twice more before leaving and she would simply have to endure the pressure building within her a little longer before she could go back to her days and weeks of monotony and an empty bed. She climbed the steps in front of him this time, leading the way towards the bedroom with a trivial air about her, as one ready to grin and bear it in order to do what must be done.

Instead of undressing her first this time, Hux shut the door behind him and immediately began to remove his own clothing. When Cara noticed he had not followed her to begin divesting her clothes for her she turned in surprise to see her husband already shirtless and beginning to remove his boots before unbuttoning his pants. Wide eyes watched him peel off his layers until he stood before her in only a pair of simple black boxer briefs, his erection beginning to stand out but not yet fully at attention.

He drew her into his arms, kissing her mouth first, then her cheeks, forehead, chin, and ears. The General spent a particular amount of time on her ears when he heard her soft gasp and felt her weaken in his arms. Cara's hands gripped his forearms fiercely when his tongue made contact with her earlobe, pulling the nub into his mouth and suckling. A most unbecoming sound gathered in her throat and escaped her mouth quietly, like a low moan. The General heard it though, and took it as a sign that he was going in the right direction.

His hands traveled lower down her back side as he nibbled her ear and dragged his tongue upward along the ridge of it, causing his wife to tremble in spite of her efforts to control herself. Large hands cupped her buttocks and lifted her up, hoisting her legs into the air so that she wrapped them around his waist in order to avoid falling backwards.

Another gasp made him stop his ministrations to her ear and look at her, watching the stunned look in her eyes with no small degree of pleasure. He carried her over to the bed where he deposited her gently, his fingers travelling downwards to find that same spot they had teased and tested earlier, watching her face for a reaction that would encourage him to keep going.

Mortified by her vulgar responses to his attentions, Cara stared up at the ceiling trying to avoid looking at him, afraid she would see a husband deeply ashamed at how his wife was coming undone in front of him. She had been informed unremittingly by her sisters about sex until she thought she would run from the room in fear of her future husband, but in all their warnings and tutelage she had never once heard them talk of anyone's pleasure but the man's. Did her sisters fall apart at the seams when their husbands put hands on them? Did their husbands even do the things to them that the General was doing to her?

Three fingers inside her again – expanding outwards to massage the walls of her sex; stretching her body for his eventual intrusion once more. The first time he took her to bed this morning she had felt on the precipice of some great relief that seemed just beyond her grasp, a culmination of some sort to all the pleasure building inside her as it reached a fever pitch, but none came. In his repeated overtures she had felt small frissons of energy similar to that, but none so potent as before. She felt it now though.

Her husband used his thumb to massage the top of her slit, feeling around experimentally as though unsure she would have a reaction to it. When his thumb pressed down in conjunction with the three digits he moved inside of her however, she almost flew off the bed as she arched her back and cried out loudly.

"Do you like that?" he murmured, his voice thick with unmistakable lust, but she could not answer. Cara's hands clenched at her sides as she tried to quell the shaking of her body at the continued motions of his fingers. His mouth bent low to kiss her stomach, drawing a fluttery feeling there from deep within that gave her the impression she was somehow losing her mind in the process of giving her husband was what his due right. "You like that?" he repeated, his steamy breath just above her pubic bone and she clenched herself tight around his fingers, anxious of what he planned to do next.

"P-please," she stuttered, but she wasn't sure what she was even pleading for. Her legs shook and her arms felt useless as she watched this stranger who was her husband kneeling between her legs and bend his head lower to kiss where his thumb had been.

"Ahhhhh!" she screamed, and covered her face with both hand in humiliation. What must her husband think of her behaving like this?

The General did not stop though, merely continuing in the movements of his tongue and fingers, his free hand reaching up to cup her breasts which he had yet to really enjoy in his zealous efforts to pump her full of as much of his seed as he could. The soft warm orb in his hand and the sight of her coming completely undone from his mouth left him painfully hard, and he deliberated whether or not to take her again now or watch her fall apart in his hands first.

In the end the decision was made for him. His wife could feel her hands scratching at the headboard behind her, fingers looking for purchase on something, anything to help her ride through this wave that seemed to be rolling through her and preparing to crest. Her back arched so prettily against the pillows and her white knuckles clenched so tightly as her hips bucked against his hands and mouth before she let out a cry that resounded in his head for weeks to come, often accompanied by him sporting an immediate erection he would have to try and hide if he was in the control room or anywhere outside his chambers. The guttural noise that erupted from her mouth triggered a series of spasms inside her sex which he felt clenching around his fingers. He left them inside her, rubbing her walls as he lifted his head and stroked her stomach; watching her gasp for breath as she rode out the effects of her climax.

Cara was beside herself. Unsure of what exactly had just happened to her, she felt weightless on the covers, her whole body singing with the energy of whatever the General had done to her. The tight knot of tension building in her stomach all day was gone; the unresolved pressure had dispersed in that one moment of incredible ecstasy as her husband assaulted her senses in every possible way. She writhed her hips underneath his tongue until he relented and raised his head, eyes focused on watching her and she knew she should feel embarrassed again but she didn't care. That – whatever that had been, was pure heaven, the likes of which she thought she would never recover from.

Hux rolled himself off the bed quickly, wiping his fingers on the sheets and discarding his boxer briefs on the floor. His body was so rigid with the need to unleash himself that he couldn't wait any longer and quickly wrapped his arms around her helpless body before plunging inside of her.

She cried out again at the intrusion, but this time there was no pain. All she could feel was the lingering effects of what he had done to her and a weak, pleasurable feeling resume between her legs as he began his thrusting.

Her hands wound their way into his hair, looking for validation that he had experienced something akin to what she had just endured. Instead she met the same unyielding eyes that bore into hers as he slammed into her over and over again, looking to find his own pleasure. Cara's head leaned back and she held on tight to him, whimpering at the sensation of something raw and powerful being nudged back into action before it had quite recovered from its last one. Each thrust inside her felt like an extra push towards the edge of a wall she had already tumbled over moments before. The General concentrated on holding himself over her so as not to crush her small body with his weight but the buildup was becoming so great that he didn't think he was capable of holding out much longer.

Another cry, weaker this time, rang in his ears as he felt the walls of his wife tighten around him again, this time around his cock, the ripples sending him over the edge as he felt his body spurt every last possible drop of his essence into her waiting womb. He bit her shoulder none-too-lightly as he came.

They both laid there for some time like that, completely sated. Cara's limp arms fell onto the bed and when the General had completely softened inside of her he rolled off, tugging her to him so he could wrap his hold her to himself.

There were so many questions she wanted to ask him now, so many things she was curious about this new world that he had opened her to – but the pleasure he'd given her was so severe and all-consuming that she could barely lift her hand to cup his cheek before she felt sleep find her again. When she woke in the middle of the night and reached for him he was already gone.


	3. The Surprise

This time when the message came with the same two words, Not Pregnant Hux felt a slight pang in his chest he couldn't explain. Of course these was a marriage of convenience, built upon an exchange of goods and services – he gave her and her family power and protection, in return she gave him heirs – but the way she so succinctly put the information felt like she sent the message across the galaxy with an air of bitterness to it, although that was probably his imagination.

He sighed in frustration when he read it, looking around his room even though there was no chance of someone overhearing. These chambers were his own, and he never shared them except with the odd concubine here and there, but he'd been so busy since returning to the Finalizer it was all he could do at night to crawl into his bed and fall asleep, sometimes waking up from a dream in the middle of the night that he had been holding Cara in his arms. Frequently when he thought of their last rendezvous he sprouted an erection which he either hid if he was around people or took care of himself if he was alone.

It was incredibly validating to his male ego the way he'd been able to rouse her to passion, and he ruminated often on the way her back arched against the bed and her mouth had parted in a scream when he brought her to a shattering climax. The look of utter bewilderment on her face at the sensation brought a warmth to his stomach he could not remember ever feeling before. Inevitably sometimes those who earned their living satisfying the appetites of the men on board the Finalizer would derive some pleasure from their activities with him, but as they were there to solely please him he never concerned himself with whether they did or not. Cara was different though. She was his wife and furthermore, an innocent. Wholly pure if the state of her hymen had been any indication, and judging by her reaction to an orgasm she probably hasn't experimented with herself much if at all.

He shook his head at the thought; it seemed absurd that a girl could be so out of touch with her own body that she had never felt a climax until 19. Still he reasoned with pride, at least he had been the one to give it to her.

Before going to bed that night he casually perused his calendar for another date to visit and try again. He expected to feel agitation and annoyance at her body rejecting his deposit after so much effort had been made. For some reason though, the thought of seeing her again and taking her to new heights of pleasure than he had already done made him harden. Once under the covers he palmed his erection until finding release and drifted off into a sleep filled with dreams of Cara, legs spread before him, naked and panting.

The next morning on the bridge he was glancing through the calendar again, having found a date in 4 days' time that would work. He had no sooner thought to send her the message to expect him than he felt Ren behind him, trying to covertly snoop through his intimate thoughts.

"Still not successful General? Well, not for lack of trying this time I see. My, her face is pretty when she cums."

Hux rounded on him without thinking and felt his hand flex unconsciously, burdened with the desire to bash itself against the side of Kylo Ren's face.

The man in black tsked in response. "Such a temper," he chastised, "and over such a small thing too. She must be so bored sitting up there in that lonely house on the mountain, no husband or children to comfort her. What longing she must feel for another person to warm her bed every night and give her body what you've taught it to crave. Alas, that can never be you, can it General? You're married to your work first, and your wife's womb senses it, so it rejects the seed you plant in her out of guilt. It must not want to bear the child of a man who will take confirmation of his success as a reason to no longer visit."

Hux gaped at him open-mouthed before collecting himself and pressing his lips into a thin line. He did little to hide the fact that he hated Ren every day, but in this moment he was filled with perhaps more profound loathing than ever before. Hux's mind scrambled for anything to say that might refute this childish man's observations, but he came up empty and Ren knew it, watching in silent amusement as the cogs of his rival's mind turned – looking for some rebuttal.

"Perhaps we should ask the Supreme Leader why it is you persist in reading my mind when you should be more occupied with the task at hand of finding the map to Skywalker," Hux suggested in a falsely casual voice, his hands still balled into fists and shaking behind his back.

"Perhaps," Kylo Ren mused, "But perhaps he would be interested in your failures to impregnate your wife. You, the man who always has a plan; who never fails in anything he sets out to do. How disappointed would he be to find that you cannot even complete the simple task of procreation?"

"I doubt the Supreme Leader is anywhere near as concerned with my future progeny as he is with your inability to handle your emotions when things don't go your way. I think he's tired of hearing about your periodic wave of destruction through the ship when things go awry."

Kylo Ren stood silent, and Hux felt pleased with himself that he'd succeeded in silencing the leader of the Knights of Ren at last.

"If you'll excuse me," he continued, "The Supreme Leader had demanded my presence in the throne room to give an account of the week's activities. I don't want to keep him waiting."

He brushed past Ren with little fanfare, walking staunchly towards the doors which would lead down a hallway in the direction of the throne room. As soon as he was far enough away that he could no longer feel the tendrils of Ren's subconscious fingering through his brain for other things to use against him he paused and took a deep breath. In that moment he decided, quite uncharacteristically, to not send the message to Cara, instead choosing to surprise her with his visit. Perhaps following their last session of coitus she would be even more amenable to his advances, although she had never once rejected him. These things sometimes took time he told himself, and even those who were married and shared a bed every night struggled with fertility, or so he had heard. Still, he would surprise her, perhaps even bring her something. Women liked receiving small trinkets and things did they not? He would think more on it later, for now he needed to clear his mind of her before meeting with Snoke, lest the Supreme Leader think him as incompetent as Ren when it came to doing what must be done. He was a man of action if nothing else, and whatever was required of him to do, either by his work or his wife, he would see it through to completion.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Mmm. MMMMmmm," Cara moaned at the feeling of the soft hands on her back.

Mira was massaging her, a talent she'd learned from her mother which had proven useful in helping Cara to relax and fill the boredom that stretched on limitlessly as hours turned into days, days into weeks and weeks into almost another full month since the General's departure after their last breathtaking coupling.

She'd confided in Mira about the things her husband had done to her. Not graphically specific, but using language plain enough that her thoughts were unmistakable. Her husband was a virile man – his appetites appeared to be normal and nothing so far to her distaste. In the bedroom he was gracious and gentle when she had expected the opposite, and after his previous visit she felt sure he found genuine pleasure in their activities, even if it was overshadowed by his sense of duty towards her. Even so she felt a gnawing ache inside her during his absence this time; a pervasive feeling that there was something missing from the equation that had nothing to do with conception. There had been no response to her missive to him communicating her lack of pregnancy – she'd sent it days ago and waited in vain for a reply. It was hard not to feel unnerved by it, and she wondered anxiously if he blamed her for the fact his seed had yet to take.

Mira's hands stopped massaging and she wiped the oil off of them with a spare towel before gently rubbing the excess from her mistress's back. Cara's thoughts were becoming hazier as she lay face down on the massage table and began drifting off. They had taken to using the study for massages where the morning light could warm the room pleasantly and often succeeding in lulling Cara to sleep after an hour of having the kinks worked out of her back.

"Do you need anything else, milady?" Mira would ask each time as she did now, draping Cara's satin robe over the back of an armchair. Upon hearing no response she deduced that the young woman had already begun the deep breathing of sleep. Quietly, she tiptoed towards the large wooden doors of the study and slipped out, shutting them softly behind her.

As the sun crept over the mountains more and more light spilled into the room, glinting off the gold-gilded spines of the countless hundreds of books that lined the walls and warming the large chair seated in front of her father's (and now her husband's) desk. Two armchairs flanked the heavy wooden piece on the opposite side, and behind them Cara kept the massage bed laid out for the times when Mira had a chance to relieve her of some tension in the General's absence.

In her dreams, she was in her bedroom, the General between her legs again and she writhed beneath his attentions, moaning at the things he did with his tongue. She was so close to that feeling he'd given her before – just on the precipice when he crawled up her body and was about to enter her – then she woke.

The space between her legs was aching in the same way it had done often since he left. Her body had learned to long for his touch and many nights she would dream he'd returned to her in order to repeat their earlier trysts. Each time the dream would end before she could feel the same release again, and she would wake feeling frustrated and empty; hoping that the next day she might receive word of when her husband would return.

Still lying face down on the table, she pushed her body up and tried to flex her muscles below, hopeful they would eventually get the hint that they would receive no further exercise again for some time, but they stubbornly refused and her arousal grew even greater. When she swung her legs to the side of the bed and stretched towards the window, her bare breasts felt the warmth of the sun and her nipples hardened. She looked back at the spot she had laid on to see a wet patch from her excitement.

She yawned and stood to her feet, reasoning that she should not waste the entire day lying about even if there was nothing to do. It felt so provocative to be standing naked in her father's former study, like the books were looking down at her disapprovingly for using this room for anything other than its intended purpose. She shrugged off the sentiment though and pulled on her robe, slipping her arms through the sleeves and tying it at her waist.

Her bare feet plodded to the door which she wrenched open. The heavy wood was difficult for her to manage in her sleepy and aroused state – hence why she thought she must still be dreaming when she walked through to see her husband standing in the entryway, looking at her in alarm.

"Cara?" he asked, taking in her languid expression and the short robe which crossed over her chest in a deep V that dipped well below her breasts. Even from 10 ft away he could see the peaks of her nipples straining against the fabric and he suddenly felt very hard already.

"Hmm?" she asked, still believing him to be a figment of her imagination. If he was coming he would have sent word beforehand, she didn't know much about the man she had married, but she had worked out enough to know that he was not the sort of man for spontaneity.

He approached with a confused look and she smiled. At least in her dreams he had a new expression from the standard dispassionate one he wore every day. It wasn't until she felt his hands reach for hers and bring them to his lips that she began to suspect he was here after all.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, eyes widening in shock.

"I got your message a few days ago and decided to surprise you. It looks like I've succeeded."

She blushed, looking down at her appearance and knowing how it must look. Another lazy noblewoman left to roam her house listlessly day in and day out, not even bothering to dress properly because the only people to see her were servants. It wasn't a pretty picture.

Her husband meanwhile, thought she looked radiant. Her skin had tinged darker from the last time he'd been here and he reasoned she probably spent a lot of time in the pool to fill the days. Her hair was plaited into a thick loose, braid which draped over her shoulder. Small flyaway strands fell into her eyes and he reached up his hand to tuck them behind her ear.

Cara shifted uncomfortably, hoping her wetness was not evident through the robe. Stars only knew what he must think of her to be lounging around the house like this so close to lunchtime. However, he suddenly closed the distance between them further, and when she felt the length of his hardness brush against her through their clothes she gave a low moan in spite of herself.

Hux recovered from his surprise quickly and pulled her through the still open study room, all but slamming it shut behind him. He kissed her long and hard then, winding one hand into the loose braid of her hair and the other roamed her backside clutching at her curves. Surprised but so desperate for him to give her relief from this ache he had caused Cara leaned into him fully, wrapping her arms around his back and closing her eyes as her body rubbed against him looking for more friction.

The General looked down at her in wonder. He had assumed he would take her gently again when he arrived, giving her time to respond to his advances and sweetly savouring the moments of ecstasy he would bring her to – but finding her like this, almost naked and certainly wanting – he knew it would be a harried affair. Pulling her towards the front of the desk he swept his arm across its surface and sent dozens of papers and artifacts spilling onto the floor before he grabbed her waist and hoisted her on the top. Cara's robe was spilled open and he bent down to allow his mouth to capture one nipple between his lips as he frantically worked at the fasten of his pants, not even bothering to remove them quickly – he simply shucked them down his legs to the floor before grabbing her hips and thrusting into her.

His shaft slid in so easily that for a moment he wondered what on earth she had been doing in here to be so wet for him so fast. He decided to ask her later though, because the way she tipped her head back and moaned at his intrusion, baring her neck for him to suckle and nip at, he knew neither of them would last long enough for conversations. Their movements were frenzied and erratic as he buried himself inside of her over and over, her legs spread and trying to brace themselves against the desk until he snaked a hand between them and began to rub her in the same place she had dreamed of his tongue returning to tease again. Her small hands clawed at his back like an animal in heat and he growled with how good it felt, wrapping his free arm around her small waist and holding her body tight against his. Her legs finally tired and she let them dangle over the edge of the desk, her feet jolting forward a bit with every drive of his hips.

It was only a few minutes before his thrusts and the ministration of his fingers against her sex sent her flying off the handle in such a rush that she came violently; crying out as he pumped a few more times before spilling his seed inside her tiny lush body. Cara buried her face into his neck and felt the collar of her robe dangling over her shoulders, exposing most of her back but she didn't care. He was here, somehow and completely unexpectedly, but he was here all the same. She wasn't sure why her heart fluttered at the thought of that but she attributed it to the wealth of satisfaction he had subjected her to once again.

When the General finally began to come down from his high and take in his surroundings he looked at the panting, luscious form of his wife and marveled at how willing she'd been to be taken thusly. Many noblewomen were rumored to be almost puritanical in their dealing with their husband's in the bedroom – a place he assumed most women would refuse to even entertain the thought of coitus anywhere else.

His Cara though slumped weakly against his chest, her head still on his shoulder and her hands holding onto his waist for support. He opened a desk drawer and found a handkerchief sitting underneath a pile of writing utensils. Grabbing it he brought it between the two of them as he pulled out of her, hoping to alleviate the mess they would inevitably leave behind when they vacated the study to continue their dalliances elsewhere.

When he pulled her off the desk to stand on her feet she wrapped her arms around his shoulders as if too weak to stand. The corner of his mouth lifted imperceptibly, although she did not see it.

He wondered if she thought him an animal – so lusty in his desires for her that he couldn't traverse one flight of stairs to take her in the bedroom like a civilised person. While she stood there still trying to catch her breath and holding onto him for dear life he let his hands explore her back, finding it damp and oily. Then he saw the massage table pushed almost against the wall of books and he understood.

"Come," he told her, "Let's get you upstairs and cleaned up." He reached up to disentangle her arms from his shoulders and she gave him a bleary-eyed expression that said she would not soon recover from the things they had just done. He prided himself in this, even if he could not be a good husband to her, or even at this point a father, he could be a good lover. In the absence of children the pleasure of his periodic visits would have to do for the meantime.

With a groan she followed him towards the door, teetering on her feet like a toddler that has just learned to walk. Amused, but with no change in his expression, her husband's hand slid around the small of her back. After making sure that her gown had been retied and covered the necessities he led her out of the study, passing a few baffled servants as they made for the stairs. The echoes of their whispers followed him up the stairs as he heard them:

"I didn't know his Lordship was coming today, did you?"

"No, her Ladyship did not tell us."

"That's not like her, maybe she did not know."

"Or maybe her husband couldn't wait to share her bed again and so he surprised her," the younger voice of the two whispered with a giggle.

In the bedroom at last he made her sit on the edge of the bed as he went to go run her a bath. He stripped his own clothes in the time it took for the tub to fill. The soapy bubbles he added to the water multiplied profusely until he turned off the water and tested the temperature with his index finger, finding it to be perfect.

Her husband came back into the bedroom wearing only a white towel wrapped around his waist and she looked at him in surprise. Nothing about this day was going the way she'd expected it to so far. It had taken her a little while but she thought she'd finally renewed her senses and could speak to him again after their shared bliss on the study room desk.

Offering his hand to her, she gingerly took it, wrapping her fingers around his own and allowing him to help lift her to her feet. Before she could say anything he untied the sash at her waist and pushed the robe from her shoulders. Cara didn't even have time to blush before he bent down to swoop her naked body into his arms and carry her bridal style through the double doors to the waiting tub. Breathless and heart beginning to pound again in anticipation, she felt herself being lowered into the bath and the water soothed the muscles of her back still sore from her earlier massage, as well as the ones made sore by the General's 'arrival'.

Quickly he discarded his towel and she stared at his naked body as he climbed slowly into the tub, opting to sit across from her like he had on their transport shuttle here from the wedding. With a contented sigh he rested his back against the wall of the tub and stretched his legs out to rest parallel to hers. It was an enormous basin, big enough for at least one other person, and even roomier given the small size of his wife.

The tip of her braid dangled into the water and she felt the tendrils of hair that had come loose beginning to curl from the steam of the bath. She and her husband both watched each other in silence, the General eventually feeling around under the water for her feet which he found and drew into his lap, beginning to massage the soles much to her enjoyment.

"How are you feeling?" he asked conversationally, and she thought this was the most at ease she'd seen him in her presence. Always he was the man of power, the one in charge, but he seemed cognizant of that each of those times. Here in the water with bubbles enveloping their bodies he seemed much more human – like any other man; like a husband.

"I'm well," she smiled, "And you?"

"Very well, especially after the welcome I received."

She blushed, feeling the redness seep into her skin and probably turning it the same colour as his hair. They never spoke about their liaisons after the fact, merely continuing to repeat them in rapid succession with even more powerful results.

"Are you embarrassed?" he asked, his hands switching to massage the other foot.

She winced at the directness of the question, this was not something she could offer a generic answer to, and she was not good at lying.

"Yes," she admitted, "A little."

"Why?"

"I just... feel unseemly in the way your actions make me react."

"I see," he nodded, "Well, let me alleviate that concern for you immediately. There is nothing you could do in bed or elsewhere with me that would cause me to think you unseemly."

Gratified by the warmness of his tone and the reassurance of his words, she fumbled beneath the water's surface to find his feet as well to return the favour, though they stretched much further than hers and took up most of her lap when she pulled them to her.

The General leaned his head back along the edge of the tub and groaned under the movements of her hands. As she continued her efforts he closed his eyes and she switched feet as he had, tracing the hard tendons with her thumb and applying pressure as she went.

"Your muscles are very tight," Cara told him, "You should let Mira massage you later. She's wonderful at it – much better than me in fact, she could—" he voice trailed off when she looked up and saw that he had raised his head and opened his eyes to look at her seriously.

"I don't need Mira to massage me," he spoke softly. There was no venom in the words, it was merely a statement of fact laced with the undercurrent of his meaning, I don't need Mira's hands on me when I have yours.

She shuddered at the feeling that ran through her under his stare and the way it carried itself through her body to arouse her once again. Her husband noticed the effect his words had on her and sat forward, gripping her ankles and pulling her naked body towards him underneath the water. Cara's hands reached for his shoulders and he produced a washcloth from beneath the surface which she watched fastidiously as he proceeded to the same areas he had cleaned in the shower that morning after he took her virginity. She had been so sore then, and nervous, and unfamiliar with him and what their marriage would look like. Truthfully she was still most of those things, but she felt emboldened by her new intimacy with him and she shifted onto his lap when he began to wash her back.

Wet hands ran through his coiffed hair and she found a small bottle of her shampoo on the ledge of the tub, dispensing it on top of his head. Her body moved behind his so she could dip his head back into the water and wet the red strands before she began using her fingers to work the shampoo into a lather. His eyes closed again, relishing the feel of her nails against his scalp and her naked body pressed against his back. When she finally thought she had scrubbed sufficiently to rinse out all of his hair product she tipped his head back again, gently cupping one hand to bring the water up and rinse the shampoo, using the other to shield his eyes from the soapy solution.

A noise from the back of his throat told Cara she had been right to try the little experiment, but she suddenly felt an urge to let her hands travel lower, tracing the muscles of his back then his chest – then even lower still.

The General grunted when she touched it, his normally steady resolve wavered and he braced himself on both sides of the tub as she gripped his shaft and moved it slowly up and down, mimicking the feel of her sex clenching around it. From this angle Cara could watch the muscles in his back tighten and listen as his breathing became ragged. Her lips bestowed a sweet kiss onto her husband's shoulder, and then she drew herself closer to him, wrapping her legs around his waist so he could feel the slipperiness of her soapy breasts pressed against his back.

"Cara," he breathed the word as if it was difficult for him to speak and she smiled broadly. So she wasn't the only one in this marriage who could make the other one quake with need. Recognition rushed through her that this was the first time she'd heard him address her by her name.

Her hands continued their movements, one tugging at his shaft in a succession of tight motions, the other exploring the soft sac below it which seemed to make him shake against her. Her thighs tightened their hold around him as his hands gripped the edge of the large tub tighter; knuckles whitening. The General was bent forward, his chest covered in bubbles as he struggled to allow her to explore him without coming apart in her hands at the same time. He wanted to pleasure her too, and when he felt that he couldn't hold on much longer he grabbed her hands roughly, pulling them from his nether regions as he spun around and lifted her to be impaled on his cock.

Cara's head arched back and her soap-covered breasts were eye level with the General who proceed to nuzzle them softly, blowing on her nipples as he raised her hips up only to slam her back down on him once more. Again her arms wound tightly around him, this time his neck as she held on for dear life. The excruciating pleasure after so much tension made her feel even needier than before when she'd woken from such a lascivious dream and remembered her husband was not here, only to step outside the study and find that now he was.

The heat of the bath and their shared body temperatures as they moved against each other in the water heightened the sensations more than usual. His arms held her tightly too, and worked with the sole purpose of helping her delicious body move up and down his shaft until they both threw back their heads in unison, shouting out their climaxes in the vast, empty bathroom.

Hux struggled to recover from his high, breathing hard against her neck and feeling the racing of her pulse against the tip of his nose as she held him even tighter to her in the aftermath. "I'm so glad you're here," she murmured against his chest, the tremors of her sex still fluttering slightly around him.

The uncharacteristic phrase of affection surprised him, but he attributed it to her post-orgasmic haze. Most likely she was glad he was here, ever conscious of her duty to give him heirs and the fact that she did not get many opportunities to conceive them. Even still the sentiment had felt genuine. Unsure of how to answer her, he responded simply by using the tips of his pruny fingers to trace circles on her back, content to hold her against him a little while longer.

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The afternoon passed quickly after that. Cara's husband had carried her from the bath wrapped in a towel before laying her in the bed and climbing in beside her. Instead of pressing her for a repeat he'd nestled his head into her shoulder and kissed her collarbone before letting himself fall asleep with her. When they stirred again hours later he stretched out his limbs and yawned, clinging to her towel clad body as she opened her eyes in a daze.

She was surprised when he didn't try to initiate their means of reproduction again, instead laying there with his head on her shoulder merely content to draw shapes with his index finger along the skin above her breasts.

Her hand finally caught his and she entwined their fingers together, settling their conjoined hands over the space where their baby was hopefully growing.

"Do you want a boy or a girl?" she asked lazily, enjoying the weight of his body next to her.

"Hmm? Oh, I'd like a boy first, though I suppose it doesn't matter. We'll likely have many more regardless of the gender of the first."

"Do you have any other siblings?"

"None. I was an only child. My father never visited my mother enough to give her any more. He took me with him to the Academy when I was 5 and I don't believe he's been back to see her since."

"How terrible for her! Do you still see her?" her voice lowered in concern, like she didn't want to know the answer.

"No," he sighed, "I haven't seen her since I left. I doubt we would recognise each other if we did now. It's been over 25 years."

"I doubt that. A mother always knows her child."

"You speak from experience?" his suggestion was not unkind, merely a manifestation of the thoughts he held about his mother and the folly that would be involved in trying to seek her out. Likely she had moved on, knowing she served her purpose to her husband and the First Order, content to lead the remainder of her life as she saw fit.

There was a rigidness to Cara's body now that hadn't been there before his offhand remark and he lifted his head to survey her face for the answers. She would not meet his eyes.

"What is it?" he asked, puzzled by her reaction, and even more so when he saw moisture gathering in the corners of her eyes that tried desperately to look somewhere other than her husband's face. Gentle but firm, his hand took hold of her chin and made her look at him. "What is it?" he repeated.

"Nothing my Lord," she tried to lie, "I hope I can bear a great many children for you and that you might let some remain with me longer than your father did, but I will serve my purpose and do my duty by you regardless."

He released her chin as if burned and took her face into his hands, drawing her body underneath his as he settled between her legs. Lips crashed down onto hers and she blinked away her tears at the thought of losing her unborn, as yet un-conceived children. Her job was to do and be whatever this man wanted. She had known that from the start.

His fingers trailed down her body to test her wetness and found nothing. He looked into her eyes again, "Cara," he addressed her by name for the second time that day, "I haven't given much thought as to the actual raising of children. It's difficult for me to say because I don't remember much of being a child. I can't promise one way or the other what I'll decide to do when the time comes, but..." his hand on her cheek turned her face to look at him again, "I will not do anything which might upset you unless I think it necessary. Do you understand?"

She nodded tearfully, willing her body to grow wet for him as it had so much before. Instead of trying again this time, he climbed off of her and retrieved his pile of black clothes from the floor.

"Are you angry with me?" she asked feebly, nervous that she had somehow upset the precarious balance between them and thrown something into motion which might negate how far they had come in their relationship, especially today.

"No, Cara, but I think you're tired still. Your body isn't ready to receive me again yet, and you're probably dehydrated and in need of food. Go ahead and dress so you can meet me downstairs for dinner. I'll head to the kitchens now and tell them to prepare."

Without another word he slipped through the doors and she was alone with her thoughts, clutching the towel around her and looking at the mattress in shame. She had let her concerns get the best of her. She was sure he was upset and probably regretted marrying her, maybe even regretted the pleasure he'd given her. Tomorrow she should expect some frantic communication from her parents telling her he had demanded an annulment to their relationship on the grounds of disrespect and barrenness. A thousand thoughts began running through her head and none of them were good. By the time she dragged herself from the bed and dressed appropriately for dinner (not in a robe this time) she descended the stairs in a despondent mood that was clear to anyone who saw her.

Mira noticed it first, rushing to Cara's side before she could walk through the doors into the dining room. "Milady!" she hissed under her breath, trying to keep the General from hearing, "What is the matter? Was it the General milady? Was he unkind to you this time?"

Cara merely kept the dejected expression and shook her head, waving Mira away as she marched into the dining room like a woman about to be handed a guilty verdict.

Hux could see that Cara was distressed from the moment he'd spoken of being taken from his mother so young. It wasn't something he had ever contemplated though, up until a few months ago he'd barely given thought to children or his lineage at all past the point of trying to prevent them with the women he periodically bedded. All cadets at the Academy started at the age of 5. It would be expected that the General from such a prestigious family would follow suit with his own children when the time came, and it would be a scandal if he did not.

No, he thought, the Supreme Leader would not have it. Their daughters would likely remain at home longer but eventually they would be sent away too -- off to their own respective schools where they would build their repertoire of skills to be honed until such a time as they entertained their own offers of husbands. His wife was being emotional he told himself, and while he did not understand the sentiment, he assumed it would pass in time as all things did and she would, as she stated, do her duty by him regardless.

Yet when he read the devastation on her face as she sat down at the table his heart burned with something he had not felt for a long time but which felt a lot like guilt.

"You look lovely," he tried to flatter her, hoping to take her mind off of it.

"Thank you," she replied, not offering anything else.

Their dinner was served without delay and she picked at the plate while her husband ate deliberately slowly and studied her. Cara felt his gaze on her but refused to meet it. If their eyes met she feared she would burst into tears and it was all she could do right now to hold herself together and swallow a few small bites.

Finally the tension between them became too much and the General set down his fork with a clatter that startled her. He looked up at the servants waiting for instructions at the end of the table. "Leave us," he commanded, and she shuddered at the tone of his voice as they hastened to exit the dining room, anticipating some form of punishment from him once they left. 

"Alright, Cara," he held up his hands as if in surrender, "This cannot hang over us the entire time that I am here. I understand that you're upset, but there are things outside of my control here; things which you would not want nor need to understand. My job... it is difficult, and being my wife is something equally difficult I would imagine. I know that I cannot be the kind of husband to you that your sisters have, or your mother had. It pains me to say it, but it's true. I am probably not the man you hoped you would marry when you were a girl, but here we are. I need you to understand that the choices I make for you, for I, or for our future children will be the best choices I can under the circumstances." He was breathing heavily, he hadn't realised he had so much to get off his chest.

"Do you understand?" he finally asked her.

Cara nodded weakly and she felt a tear run down her cheek.

Her husband rose to his feet, "Stand up please," he ordered, and she obeyed, her body shaking. Gone was the easy familiarity of the last 12 hours; here again she felt like the same shy virgin anticipating something gruesome on her wedding night. Now she braced herself, shutting her eyes tight in expectation of some form of discipline. Instead she felt her husband's hands grab her in desperation rather than rage, gripping her wrists to pull her towards himself as his lips descended upon hers. She moaned into his mouth, somehow finding herself inexplicably aroused by this sudden show in emotion from the man she did not think possessed such things. Both sets of hands clawed at each other, trying to make skin to skin contact as he hiked up the long skirt of her dress and she undid the clasps on his pants. A finger dipped down to test her wetness before he shoved plates and utensils aside, loudly clattering as they made contact with the floor.

He set her on the table and crouched down as he began to voraciously attack her sex with his tongue. Cara cried out as he grabbed her hips and held them tightly when she tried to move -- trapping her in her pleasure as he ravaged her with his mouth to prepare her for him. He inserted one finger in her at a time, gauging how ready she was by how many fingers he could insert. When he got to three he swirled them around inside of her for a few moments, savouring her moans as her body prepared to cum.

"Wait for me," he murmured, and stood to his feet shoving his pants and boxer briefs to the floor. Within seconds he was plunging inside of her, holding her, caressing her, stimulating her with his hands, his mouth and his cock. Cara whimpered into his shoulder as her body accepted him gladly, her quim greedily sucking him deeper inside each time as though desperate for his seed. Hux thrust into her soft, supple body as hard as he could manage, looking over her shoulder to see a servant step out from the door to the kitchen, realise what was occurring and rush back out.

He didn't care. Let them see, let them talk. This was his house now, and his wife, and he didn't have much longer before he needed to leave again. He would be damned if any of them stopped him from finishing what he had started.

The familiar squeezing of his shaft buried deep in her alerted him that she was climaxing before her low shriek met his ears. Again, the sensation of her walls clenching him deeper inside of her spurred his own orgasm and he pumped into her with reckless abandon, spurting the walls of her womb with what he was sure was enough seed to father an army.

She still clung to him tightly, not wanting to feel his retreat from her body. When he finally did pull himself out of her to pull up his pants and refasten them the liquid poured down her legs in thick dribbles -- a testament to how hard he had cum.

Cara thought she might pass out here on the table, and she wasn't sure if that would be better or worse than what they had just finished using it for. She swayed on the edge and felt herself beginning to tip forward when the General caught her, setting her upright again while she struggled to focus on the green of his eyes and his lips still wet with her juices.

Hux tried to let go of her so she could stand up on her own but when he did she began to slump forward again and he swung his arms beneath her legs and shoulders to hoist her up. He didn't look nearly as strong underneath the black uniform as he was. She was also impossibly light, and he carried her with the same ease he had this morning to the bath.

It was hard not to be amused with how undone he made her when she came. The severity of her ecstasy had rendered her almost paralyzed. As he carried her up the steps he ignored the poorly concealed stares of the servants. He knew exactly what they would be talking about for weeks to come.

The General laid her in the bed and covered her gently. By the time he'd gotten halfway up the steps Cara mumbled to him that she could walk but he'd disagreed and left no room for argument. Here in the bed again she opened her eyes -- beginning to fully comprehend what they had just done and where. She was just about to ask if he meant to have her again before the night was over when he spoke.

"I have to leave soon." His voice was smooth as he leaned over her face and spoke lowly in case prying servants were waiting at the door to listen. Large, powerful hands smoothed the loose tendrils of hair back from her face and she grimaced before she could catch herself.

"Do you have to go?" she beseeched him, his lips hovering just above hers. She didn't know why she bothered to ask. On each of his visits her husband had yet to spend a whole night in her bed with her, but there was always a chance, right? The General nodded, "I can't stay," he replied, and his tone was almost apologetic.

Cara brought her hands up to either side of his face and held his cheeks, looking into his eyes deeply for some indication of what he was thinking, but there was none.

"Will you hold me until I fall asleep?" she asked him. Instead of answering verbally he rolled onto his side and sat up, unbuttoning the black uniform jacket and leaving it at the foot of the bed before removing his white cotton undershirt next. He wrapped his warm half-naked body around hers, reveling in the feeling of her bare skin on his, even in such an innocent way as this. Broad arms encircled her and one of his hands cupped her breast, allowing the soft orb to fill his hand as she settled down to sleep. Her eyes closed and she breathed steadily, but had still not yet drifted off when an hour later her husband extricated himself from her small frame and began to dress. On his way out the door Cara heard him stop, her eyes still closed so he wouldn't know she was awake, and she listened as his boots softly approached the bed. The mattress dipped under his weight and he leaned over her to leave a chaste kiss directly onto her temple, not noticing the twitch of her mouth as he turned and left.

When she was sure he had truly gone and the footsteps down the staircase had ceased to echo, she rose from the bed and ran to the open balcony, hiding behind one of the curtains to watch her husband striding down the path, his way illuminated by the bright moon as he took his leave of this place again and made for the waiting shuttle.

Cara stood there long after he had clambered up the ramp and boarded the ship. She watched as it lifted from the landing and took off at lightspeed, and she felt a hollow sensation in her heart and in her womb, wondering how long it would be until she could see him again.


	4. The Message

The morning after he'd left Cara woke rested, stretching her limbs and looking down to see her flat stomach beneath the dress she'd fallen asleep in, wishing somehow there would be a pronounced bump there already if his efforts had begun to take. In spite of their conversation earlier, she began to feel in her a deep hunger for that which she had been betrothed. Cara wanted a child. Her womb ached at the thought of her husband leaving a piece of him inside her that would grow and begin to stir beneath her skin. The first heir to a powerful dynasty and proof that she was able to deliver him what was promised.

An uncomfortably sticky feeling between her legs made her lift her skirt to see the remains of her husband's secretions before he took his leave. After, she reminded herself, he took you on the dining room table. She shuddered deliciously as a familiar feeling of arousal ran through her at the memory. When he told her he was leaving she'd asked him to stay, forgetting her place in that brief moment because she hadn't wanted to say goodbye yet.

A yawn escaped her mouth and she rolled over towards the edge of the bed. She was just about to make herself get up and bathe when she felt something hard that she'd rolled over on. Looking beneath her, she saw a thick envelope and lifted her torso to pull it free, examining the outside for some indication as to what it was. There was only one word on the front; Cara.

Curious, she leaned her head back against the pillow and undid the strings holding the packet closed and reached inside to pull out a jewelry box. Her fingers slid along the edges to open the case, and inside she gasped to find a necklace made of firestone, an incredibly rare and pricy gem which she sometimes saw adorning the throats of other wealthy noblewomen in the Tapani sector, though none of the men in her family could manage to secure it because there was such a high demand. Even more shocking, she found a matching set of teardrop earrings made with the same material.

Sitting up to admire it more, Cara turned the stones in the light coming in from the sun, watching how their coloring sparkled with clarity. The bright red and orange hues reminded her suddenly of her husband's hair. It appeared he had planned for more than one surprise on his visit.

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He received another message from her much earlier than expected. By the time he had tramped through the ship the morning after his return to reach his command post on the bridge his datapad beeped with a message from her.

Thank you for the jewels. They are beautiful. They remind me of you.

-C

Another uncharacteristic twitch at the corner of his mouth was the only outward sign he was pleased by her reaction. His response back was also brief:

I'm glad you like them. Please let me know if there is anything else you need.

-H

He deliberated on whether to sign it the same way she had, thinking that it sounded very much like some romantic gesture of affection, which he of course was not prone to. Then again he supposed leaving her jewelry could be viewed as such a gesture, but it had elicited a longer response from her than he'd ever received thus far, so he relented and typed the H before sending it.

The rest of his morning was filled with dull meetings and reprimanding everyone around him. The tension had returned to his shoulders; he was rigid and impatient with any person he encountered. On the transport shuttle he'd been able to sleep until they landed but after returning to his own bed on board the Finalizer he found it a struggle to sleep again, lamenting the lack of Cara's small, warm body curled up next to his.

Hux shook his head. This ship was no place for a woman of her breeding, and she would be far more comfortable at the villa in Naboo, even if it was boring and confining. There were untold dangers to her being aboard this ship, not the least of which Ren and his tantrums which could extend to anyone and anything he considered to be expendable. If he had no qualms about destroying millions worth in equipment, Hux thought it unlikely he would control his temper better around his chief rival's wife.

By the end of the day he was exhausted, although thankful for the reprieve he'd managed to take in order to visit Cara and breed her once more. This time had been so different he realised as he climbed into bed that night. It hadn't been a simple act of her being roused to his advances; she'd even initiated congress with him when they had been in the bath. He shuddered in pleasure at the memory of her hands on his shaft, her legs wrapped around his waist and her soapy breasts against his back...

He lay there in the dark of his room; it was so black he could not even see his hand in front of his face. Absently he fingered the ring on his left hand, trying to process so many things about her. It was impossible to say he felt nothing when with his wife; indeed he was unsure how anyone could be immune to her appeal. That face, that hair, that body... he had indeed been given the total package when it came to her, and he began to see the allure of returning even more often. While it had begun in a simple effort to impregnate her, he found himself desiring her regardless. He did not attribute it to any romantic notions, merely an appreciation of her company and the bliss he felt when inside of her. If only he didn't feel such a responsibility to keep her safe he would let her remain on board with him so as to satisfy his urges more regularly.

Again he felt the urge to take care of himself underneath the covers, imagining it was her sliding along the length of his cock instead of his own hands. Of course he could have sent for a concubine, but he told himself he could wait. If Cara had been lying next to him he would have taken her again and again; indeed her body felt like a drug to him now and his limbs seemed to ache with the need to hold her once more, clutching her body beneath him as he drove into her.

The images of their past couplings brought him over the edge and he sighed when he came. This climax was enough, but still nowhere near as powerful as the ones he felt when plunging in the white hot depths of his tender young wife. With a groan he rolled over, telling himself housekeeping would wash the sheets tomorrow and he had the other side of the bed to sleep on. Even still, his last thoughts as he drifted off were of Cara's deep, piercing eyes and the way they fluttered when he thrust between her legs.

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Cara stared down tearfully from her perch on the toilet, looking at the harsh red evidence that once again her body had not been hospitable to her husband's overtures. Her womb ached, but not with the stirrings of a child, rather her body shedding the lining of her uterus which would have housed the embryo.

She wept hard; hot tears streamed down her face and she howled at the walls, wanting to tear them down with her hands. In the first months of her marriage she wasn't sure she wanted to have children yet, so what had changed? She couldn't explain it even to herself but she felt the urge to break something, anything in order to help her feel better.

A knock at the door made her wipe her face with her skirt, not bothering to hide the red spot; if she was to be barren and childless sooner or later everyone would know it.

"Come in," she croaked, unable to stop a fresh wave of tears when Mira opened the door and hurried to her mistress, hugging her tightly as Cara sobbed into her shoulder.

"It's alright milady," she soothed, "There's nothing to fear. Here, let me draw you a bath and you can talk to me."

Cara sniffled but released her, hugging herself in an effort to keep from shaking while Mira busied herself turning on the tap and getting the temperature perfect before adding the bubble solution and salts. When the tub was half full Mira helped her mistress pull the stained dress over her head, discarding it on the floor as she held Cara's hand and helped her into the bath. Still crying, but less violently now she leaned back against the edge of the tub and remembered the last time she'd been in here she had been with the General. During that episode he had once again given her the means of producing a child for him, and once again she had failed. The morbid realisation set her off in a new wave of crying.

"Shh, oh milady it hurts me to see you like this," Mira's face was pained with concern.

"I haven't given Lord Hux a child again this month," she wailed pitifully, "What kind of wife am I?"

"A wife who does not see her husband often milady," Mira's voice was stern, as though she placed the blame for this squarely on Cara's husband.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Cara asked defensively, affronted at Mira's insinuation this was the General's fault.

"Milady. These things take time even when the husband is present every day. When he only visits from time to time, well, that makes things more difficult."

Cara's watery eyes became serious, "What makes you think so?"

Her servant looked down at her lap and wrung her hands together, "I hope you don't mind miss, but I wrote to my mother, and I mentioned that you were yet to be with child. She wrote back that she wasn't surprised, and you might find it difficult to conceive but if it continued that I should tell you what she told me."

Rapt with attention Cara sat forward, listening eagerly for the words of wisdom.

Mira took a deep breath before answering, "She said to tell you that there are only very specific times of the month when a woman can conceive. His lordship could take you as many times as he wanted in a single day or two but if they're nowhere near that time it won't do any good."

Flummoxed by this revelation, Cara watched Mira's face for any signs that this might be untrue, but there were none.

"But I cannot be with my husband at all times," she stuttered, "Lord Hux is away on important business. He's only able to come here when he can get time away."

"Then perhaps you need to go to him milady."

The thought dawned on her a second before Mira voiced it and she clutched her knees to her chest, rocking back and forth as she watched the waves in the tub roll out from her. Of course, it made sense. If her husband could not come to her often enough, then she must come to him. She felt stupid to have let the possibility escape her for so long, but the immediate rejoinder her mind concocted told her, If that were an option he would have already suggested it.

Perhaps not though, she retorted, Perhaps he's been waiting to see if he might succeed here first, in an effort to spare me any unnecessary discomfort.

Mira was still watching her mistress as the internal conversation played out in her mind, waiting to hear what her response would be.

"Please fetch me my datapad," she finally told her, "I need to send a message to Lord Hux."

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The message was sent late at night after the General had finished showing and turned in for the evening. By the time it lit up the screen of his datapad he had already collapsed against the mattress in exhaustion, not seeing it until the next morning. In alarm, he’d looked at the screen with bleary eyes in the darkness of his room; the message was vague but direct. Come as soon as you can. Please hurry.

His attempts at responding went unanswered, and so he began to worry, thinking perhaps something had happened to Cara. Within 30 minutes he had felt panicky, imagining everything that could have gone wrong to provoke such a message with no further responses. Was she injured? Sick? Had someone tracked her down in order to use her as leverage against him?

Another half hour later he hurried to reschedule meetings and delegate the things he could not get out of to Phasma and Mitaka, purposefully avoiding Ren so he would not see his rival in distress. When everything had been squared away he marched as fast as he could while maintaining his dignity to the landing bay. This time he would not be using a shuttle, it was too conspicuous and slower than one of the TIE fighters. If he left on his own in one of those he could be there in 1 hour instead of almost 4.

Stormtroopers saluted as he walked past, deferring to him immediately when he made for the closest ship he could find. Although he had not needed to use his skills in flying aircraft for some time he had excelled at it just like everything else during his tenure at the Academy. After disengaging the locking mechanism which tethered it to the wall he started the ship; his throat constricting as the engine whirred to life and he pushed the button to make it airborne. Once he had steered the ship far enough away from the Finalizer he had hit lightspeed immediately, trying to forget the long list of things he would have to explain when he returned as he nervously fidgeted in his seat, worrying about Cara.

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Upon seeing the TIE fighter arrive the next morning Cara fretted to and fro putting the final touches on herself. The new Firestone jewelry he'd given her was fastened around her neck and her ears and she smiled when Mira patted a few last strands of her hair into place; pinching her mistress's cheeks to give her a healthier rosy glow.

She watched gleefully from the balcony as her husband traipsed up the path in a rush. It had not yet occurred to her that her message might be taken badly, and so she rushed down the stairs to meet him with a huge smile plastered on her face.

The look she received from her husband was enough to wither it.

He stepped through the doors cautiously and, upon seeing her standing there smiling, instead of reciprocating his face took on an expression of confusion.

"You're here!" she rushed down the last of the steps, almost twisting an ankle in her efforts to reach him. His perplexed expression became hard, but she hardly noticed as she drew closer. She'd felt full to bursting with the information Mira had relayed last night and even though she knew some of the servants were likely listening, she felt she would combust if she didn't tell him right away. She failed to notice the subtle differences between his normal stoic face and the one battling within himself not to explode.

Her voice was low as she spoke, "Last night I had my bleeding. When Mira found out she told me something very important..." he listened rigidly as she explained what Mira's mother had said, and how upset she'd been at not being pregnant, but how hopeful she'd felt at Mira's words, hence why she had sent such a rushed message to him so late in the night. She had wanted him to know as soon as possible. Through the whole thing Cara was talking too excitedly to see the way his fists clenched, but when her spiel was recited and she finally looked to him for affirmation she watched the look on his face transform from consternation to anger.

Her own countenance immediately fell, "What's wrong?" she asked him, her brow furrowed in concern that he had come bearing bad news when she had been so ready to share hers.

The General was shaking, his eyes looked dangerous and she reached out to take his hand but he yanked it away from her, looking at the floor, the walls, the ceiling; anywhere but at her.

"I don't understand. What it is? Has something happened?" She tried to close the distance between them and he took a step back. That was when she realised his anger was directed at her.

"My Lord, please tell me what I've done? Is it because I'm still not with a child?"

His lips were pressed into such a fine line that the skin around his mouth was turning white. His foot tapped an erratic beat on the floor before he saw two servants watching from a doorway, trying to remain unseen. That made him grab her arm gruffly, beginning to trek up the stairs with little fanfare and dragging his wife behind him, leaving her little choice but to keep up.

Finally in their bedroom he pushed her through the doors first, then turned to close the door with a loud slam that made Cara jump.

"Please," she begged, terrified now, "Please tell me what I've done."

As a man who prided himself on his respectful treatment of his wife, and indeed, his growing concern for her, the General was loathe to come home and find that she had duped him in such a way, only to find her trembling now before him did he recognise she had not understood what she had caused. But that fact didn't help his anger in any way.

"Cara," his voice warned and his face darkened, "I told you to let me know if there was anything else you needed. Do you know how concerned I was when I kept sending messages for clarification and getting no response?"

She thought back to the message she had sent in a rush after Mira helped her from the bath and was braiding her hair for bed. In her excitement she had sent the missive and left the datapad in her bathroom on the vanity, not even thinking to check it again – so sure was she that her husband would come. "I just thought-"

"You just thought!" He shouted and she recoiled like a wounded animal, her frightened eyes waiting for him to strike her in retaliation for her mistake.

"Do you have any idea who I am?" he roared – his tone still irate, "I run an entire warship for the First Order. Every time I come here requires preparations and rearranging of meetings and schedules, but you send me a message like that and make me assume the worst, only to have me come here and find that you just wanted me to bed you again?"

Cara was crying now, hiding her face behind her hands and ruining the makeup Mira had helped her spend most of the morning on. She wept openly as her husband berated her until he finally stopped, seeing the effect of his words on this frail creature.

"Cara, I'm-"

She shook her head vehemently and let out a choked sob. At some point during his outburst she had slid down the wall and cowered against it, drawing her knees to her chest where she crossed her arms and now cried buckets onto her bare skin.

Stricken by her reaction, Hux tried to step forward and touch her but she flinched when he did. She knew she had no right to refuse him anything but she was too distraught to care.

He stood there horrified with himself as he towered over this sweet, innocent wife who had only wanted to see him again, to tell him what she'd learned which she thought would solve the great dilemma between them. Stars, had he made her feel this way? That she must provide him children immediately or be cast off? What kind of a monster did she see him as?

A pretty dangerous one after this his subconscious taunted him, and he crouched down besides the shaking, sobbing woman to try again.

She still flinched when he touched her and kept her face hidden from him. He tried to rub her legs comfortingly but she crossed them, a clear indication that was not welcome either.

"Cara please... I'm sorry... I shouldn't have lost my temper with you..."

It didn't matter now though. His words were hollow in the aftermath of his tirade which had essentially torn down all the trust he'd barely begun to build up.

Defeated he leaned against the wall next to her and sighed loudly, telling himself he had really made a mess of things when she finally spoke. "I just wanted to give you what you wanted, what you needed. A baby."

He sighed again, reaching out his arm to place gently on her shoulders, and this time when he touched her she did not recoil.

"I'm a foolish woman," she mumbled through her tears, although it appeared the worst of the crying was over.

"No Cara, listen to me, I am the foolish one. I assumed you wanted a child desperately because I could not be here often, it didn't occur to me until now that you felt so pressured to provide one for my sake. I never knew you were taking it this hard or I would have said something."

She snorted derisively at that, "Would you have?" she asked, clearly unconvinced.

He pulled her closer to him and, taking a chance, lifted her onto his lap where she rested her head on his shoulder as he stroked her arms and back. "Perhaps not," he admitted, "It's hard to say what I would have said or done months ago. So many things have changed since then. We've changed, even though I didn't realise it at first. Our relationship, it's..." His voice trailed off, "I don't know how to describe it. I know that I care for you and your wellbeing. I know that it hurts me to see you hurting," he paused again, "I know that I was frantic with the thought that something might have happened to you."

She lifted her head to look at him, wondering if he would say what she thought was coming, but he didn't. Instead his hand reached up to cup her cheek and wipe away a few stray tears with his thumb. "I'm sorry I yelled. I was just worried and when I saw that you were fine and I'd spent the last several hours in knots, well..." He kissed the back of her hand, "I'm sorry. It doesn't excuse it. I should never have lost my temper with you." The weight of his forehead pressed against hers and she leaned into it, their mouths so close she could feel his short breaths and see the bobbing of his Adam's apple when he spoke. This time she kissed him, tenderly and full of emotion, as though she were trying to pour all of her feelings from the last three months into the action.

Her husband returned the gesture tentatively, afraid of overwhelming her to the point that she might push him away again. He was used to employing fear in his subordinates in order to get what he demanded of them, but one thing was for sure: he never wanted to see that look of fear coming from his wife's eyes again.

The emotion of their first huge argument still ran high, and with it the need for a release of the tension both had felt build up between them. When he couldn't bear it anymore Hux deepened the kiss, exploring her tongue and her mouth as his hands caressed her legs and back from her precarious perch on his lap. They broke apart only momentarily in order to stand and then her husband was in front of her again, turning her towards the bed before she felt her body being pushed – falling with a woomph onto the mattress.

He took his time with Cara, wanting to be gentle after showing a side to her he'd hoped she would never see. His hands undressed her delicately, his every motion held her like she were made of glass and would break into pieces if he handled her too roughly.

Cara arched into his kisses and traced his lips with her tongue. Down below her hips gyrated and thrust upwards at him, begging for the release he had trained her to expect. She moaned loudly as he took her breasts into his hands, and then her nipples into his mouth. Each one received an extensive workout from his tongue and she cried out with the sensations it caused, digging her nails into his back as all the blood in her body seemed to pool towards her sex.

Naked on the bed again with a full clothed husband she shook off the feeling that this was strange. This was who her husband was, he had made that clear. General Hux was a man of power, virility, and respect. He gave orders, others obeyed them. His wife was no different, and as she felt his head dip lower – dragging his tongue across her belly and finally to the engorged lips of her sex, she reveled in the fact that he was in control, not she.

The swollen nub she'd discovered between her legs one night in the bathtub while exploring her body, trying to figure out why it responded to her husband as it did, was aching as he wrapped his lips around it, lathing it with his tongue. His arms completely encased her thighs, gripping them so tightly she could not move even when her hips tried to buck against his mouth, desperate for more relief. After discovering the nub in the bath she had taken considerable time stimulating it herself and even felt some small semblance of the release her husband provided each time he visited, but it was nowhere close to the ecstasy of the real thing.

"Unnnhh," she moaned frantically, her body begging to be allowed to thrash on the bed but her husband’s firm grip refusing to allow it. All it took was the insertion of his fingers inside her and she came undone, screaming up at the ceiling as he wiped his mouth on the sheets before beginning to undress.

When at last he was also naked and had settled himself between her legs, he held himself over her and watched her enraptured face as she simultaneously came down from her high and basked in the feeling of each inch of him intruding into her. Once fully sheathed inside her he began to move, delighting in the way her lips mouthed silent words and cries, relishing the times when she could not hold back and cried out with the passion he wrought from her.

His own climax impending, Hux sped up the timing of his thrusts and tensed the muscles of his back and arms as he tried not to collapse on top of her with the force of his release. The rhythmic spasming of her sex around him coincided with an even louder scream than before as she lay helpless underneath him, riding the second wave until it was all she could do to tread water.

After he slumped to the side and pulled her to him she nuzzled his shoulder, bestowing a faint kiss on his neck that even in his post-coital stupor caused his cock to give an involuntary twitch. Instead of pressing her for another round though he settled against her, stroking the smooth expanse of her back and kissing the top of her head. Regardless of the way it had happened he was glad to be here with her again.

Cara dozed naked beside him as he contemplated what she said before he’d exploded. Bring her to the Finalizer? He had already considered the option and determined it to be too risky, too dangerous with someone like Ren on board. Not to mention the almost constant threat of attack from Resistance forces. He also needed to leave the ship frequently for business on the Starkiller, so there was no telling if her coming with him to the Finalizer would give them much more chances for copulation than their current arrangement.

Still… she had seemed so hopeful, so desperate to give him a child. He couldn’t be sure how much of that desperation was grounded in her own desires or her perceptions of his. Children were not his immediate concern past the point of securing his name and giving her something to fill the years of loneliness that would inevitably characterise her life as his wife. He couldn’t deny the idea that procreating would be a source of pride for him, as it was with every man, yet more than anything he felt burdened to give her what she wanted, a baby, while balancing it with what she needed, safety and protection from his line of work.

He brushed her hair from her eyes and watched her eyelashes stir as she began to wake. A small kiss to her lips was enough to rouse her and before he knew it they were rolling on the bed again, the sounds of their actions driving the other to new heights once more.

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It was later in the day when they finally ventured from the bedroom. Cara’s makeup had been permanently mussed and both had impossibly disheveled hair, but neither cared. The healthy glow of rampant sexual activity permeated their every move and interaction with each other; faint touches and legs grazing beneath the table with meaningful looks. Even under the cool visage her husband gave off, Cara could tell now that she got to him. It was in the way he watched her while they coupled, his eyes intent on seeing her reactions. It was in the way he held her before and afterwards, the gentle displays of affection seldom given but always appreciated. It was in the way he had strived to make amends with her mere moments after verbally berating her for bringing him here.

Hux also knew this. Whether or not he could attribute his feelings for to her any measurable romantic notion, he knew that his attitude in regards to Cara had shifted, and she now occupied much more of his thoughts than he had ever guessed she would. He cherished his time with her in and out of the bedroom; the subtle nuances of her character, voice, expressions. All of it fascinated him, all of it made him crave her more.

After lunch they opted to take a walk down the paths that winded around the mountain like a maze, enjoying the lazy summer day and temperate climate. The air was cool, not muggy for this time of the year and Hux was grateful his in-laws had seen fit to give them a home that wasn’t overtly hot or humid. A steady, refreshing wind grazed over the mountains and swept past them, cooling their cheeks and catching tendrils of Cara’s hair.

When they were far enough away from the villa that no servants could hope to see or hear them, Cara grinned at her husband lasciviously, her thoughts turning towards more lewd inclinations. The General didn’t seem to notice though, he was still walking unawares, his hand loosely holding hers, and she decided she might need to get his attention.

Up ahead there was a particularly dense patch of forest, where the tops of the trees grew thicker and greener. Shafts of sunlight could peek through and the wind jostled the leaves, giving it a serene atmosphere.

Without warning she released his hand and ran towards it, calling out, “Race you!” behind her. It didn’t take long for them to reach the alcove, and when they arrived, cheeks flushed and chests heaving, Hux looked at his wife and saw her as she wanted to be seen.

The way the breeze played with her hair and ruffled the skirt of her dress, pressing it against her firm legs that only recently had been wrapped around him, all contributed to the rigid erection he felt out of nowhere. Pretending to be unaware, she turned her head to look up at the treetops and stretched out her arms, watching how the sunlight played across her skin from the spots where it broke through the trees and danced as they swayed in the wind.

He deliberated on the decision before glancing behind him and deciding to throw caution to the wind. Cara had scarcely opened her eyes to peek at the effect she was having on him when the General’s body collided against her, practically throwing his wife against the nearest tree with the sudden animal need to take her now.

Clothes were not even removed, merely lifted and unfastened enough to allow them to join together, her sex already wet and ready for him.

“Hmm, someone wanted this didn’t they?” he grunted into her ear as he thrust into her body and she whimpered her assent.

“Yes,” she gasped, her body almost crushed between him and the tree.

"You like that? Hmm?" he uttered huskily and she moaned at the words.

"Yes," she breathed, clinging onto him for dear life as the affirmation caused him to thrust deeper.

"Does that feel good?"

The wail she gave was taken as another 'yes' and he pumped harder, "Do you want me to give you a baby?"

Cara's eyes widened at the suggestion. This was the most conversation she had ever heard from her husband while he was in the midst of taking her, but the words made her quake against him even harder with their suggestiveness.

"Please," she begged him, desperate for his seed now and she bucked her hips erratically against him, hungry for his release to flood her womb.

His hands gripped her hips hard enough to bruise, "Hold still then sweetheart, let me give you want you want," his hot breath in her ear sent her spiraling and the movement of his hips combined with her inability to move her own left her entirely at his mercy. She didn't even notice the term of endearment, nor the way the bark of the tree at her back dug into her bare shoulders. Cara barely registered anything in the midst of her impending ecstasy except her body's frantic motions to help her find it. When it finally hit her it was like a wave, towering higher and higher as it grew then finally crested—the magnitude of force behind it left her screaming. A flock of birds alarmed at the sudden noise raised their wings in unison and took flight as her small body continued to be thrust against the tree by her husband until he groaned out his own climax a minute later, filling her with his sperm.

"Oh, oh, OHHH" she suddenly felt his fingers delve between the two of them, not content at giving her just one. She writhed between the tree and her husband under the ministrations of his hand against the sensitive nub between her legs until he finally made her succumb to her passions a second time, tears flooding her eyes with the severity of it.

Helplessly limp again, she felt her husband slump to the ground, pinning her underneath him on the forest floor as they both tried to regain their breathing. His flaccid cock was still warm inside of her, acting as a plug to make sure he kept as much of his essence in her as possible.

Cara had just enough energy to lift her head and kiss the tip of his ear before letting it sag back to the ground. Her husband proceeded to kiss her languidly, his tongue soft and gentle against her own. When their mouths pulled apart he peppered her face with kisses and she felt him harden again. How was this happening? Her own body was spent, lying helpless beneath him and he began a steady rhythm once more, both breathing heavily as their sweaty bodies began rutting on the forest floor. This time he barely lasted a minute, grunting in his determination to fill her again. The exquisite agony of her heat drove him into her again and again as he felt his shaft deflate inside her a second time, utterly complete.

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That afternoon she fell asleep only after he'd ravished her twice more. Somewhere in her dozing she felt his lips on her neck as he prepared to leave.

When she finally did rise, he had left a note on the nightstand for her, Send word in a few weeks if you find you're still not pregnant and I will send a shuttle to retrieve you.

Thus the next 3 weeks passed painfully slowly, and when her bleeding returned instead of feeling apoplectic she felt nervous elation. She was going to be with her husband every night for the foreseeable future, she would know what it felt like to be a normal wife instead of one hidden away in the mountains waiting for a quickening in her womb and periodic visits for passion.

She sent her response almost a week later, the day she was sure her bleeding had stopped and his reply came back within the hour.

Ready yourself to leave in a few hours. The shuttle should arrive to fetch you before dinner.

She was going to the Finalizer.


	5. The Finalizer

It would be impossible to tell who was more nervous about Cara's impending transition to living aboard the Finalizer, her or the General. Both felt shaky and uncertain at the prospect, and both quivered in nervous anticipation, although the General was much better at hiding it.

His abrupt departure the day Cara sent the misinterpreted message had raised questions which he'd managed to deflect from everyone but Supreme Leader Snoke himself, and as a consequence of that, Kylo Ren. He'd done his best to minimize the situation, but in a room with two mind readers there was little to hide. Thankfully Snoke was less interested in Hux's feelings and more in the dedication to the First Order, an easy thing for Hux to reassure him of. Kylo Ren however, was nosy and insistent; showing up uninvited at different times of the day when Hux was busy hunkered over some intelligence reports on his datapad and trying to pilfer his thoughts with little concern for subtlety. On the morning he received word from Cara that she was still not with child, he had no sooner sent his reply telling her to pack her bags than he felt the familiar tickling sensation on the lobes of his brain that told him Ren was sifting through thoughts he had no business viewing.

"Get out of my head Ren," he growled lowly, not sure if the man was close by enough to hear but not wanting their conversation heard by anyone else if he wasn't. Even from across the room Hux knew the Leader of the Knights of Ren would not be able to miss the demand.

"Very interesting," the cold reply came from directly behind Hux and he turned slowly on his heel, wanting to deliver a punch but resisting the urge, instead drawing closer to the man clad all in black, peering into that ridiculous mask before repeating his directive. "Get. Out. Of. My. Head."

"So testy," Ren rebuked him in a voice that was teasing but tinged with malice, "I just enjoy seeing this girl who had so enraptured you with her charms, and you her by the looks of things. It would appear you've both found more enjoyment in the procreation process than you let on. Well done, General."

Hux quelled the victorious feeling that rose in his chest at the backhanded compliment, "My wife will be here by the end of the night. I don't think I have to tell you to keep your distance from her. She is delicate, and inexperienced at dealing with the likes of spoiled, saber-wielding psychopaths as yourself. The Supreme Leader will not be pleased if I have to approach him about your behaviour towards the mother of my unborn child, no matter how much he allows you to get away with."

"You overestimate your importance to him and underestimate mine. I could ask the Supreme Leader to give me your wife and he would demand it to be done, so I would be careful. She's also not the mother of your unborn child, at least not yet, so I can only imagine how often you two will be going at it in attempts to rectify that. Regardless, I think you'll find that the more exceptions you make for her the more the Supreme Leader's interest will be piqued and the harder it will be to keep her from finding out about what you do. That is the underlying reason you didn't want her to come, is it not? It can't be just fear of me." His smug tone and the oncoming headache from Ren's attempts at reading his mind were maddening and he struggled to spit out, "What I do with my wife and what I choose to tell her or not tell her is between us and the Supreme Leader. I don't know what possessed you to think you have any say in my marriage since it's hard to believe anyone would choose to tie their life to someone as insufferable as yourself, but stay away from my wife, do you hear me? It won't end well for you."

Ren chuckled from beneath his mask, "As you wish, General," and as he left Hux got a fleeting image projected onto him from Ren of Cara, spread-eagled on her back with her mouth open in ecstasy as Ren pounded away between her legs, drawing the same reactions from her as her husband who could only watch from behind thick glass, pounding on its surface in a futile attempt to make them stop.

Hux knew it was a cruel joke played by Ren, but that didn't make it any less worrisome. The fact that he could even suggest the possibility of asking Snoke for a chance to sleep with his wife showed how drastically unbalanced he was. What's more Hux couldn't deny that Ren's words unnerved him. There would never be any question of allowing it to happen, but it reinforced the reasons he had be reluctant to bring her on board. That man was unpredictable and not to be trusted.

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Cara's trip to the Finalizer felt interminably long. Her stomach was in knots of nervous elation, anticipating her first meeting with her husband now after another month apart. He had given her no specifics on what to expect upon arrival, she wasn't even sure if he would be the one there to greet her, but she hoped.

Mira had said a tearful goodbye along with the other servants. Cara assured her that if she needed any assistance she would send for one of them but she wasn't sure her husband meant for anyone to come but herself. From what she had gleaned in the little information she got before her wedding, space was at a premium on board and the last thing she wanted was to upset her husband by bringing an unwanted guest with her, no matter how much she would miss her.

The last time she had been in a shuttle like this it was bringing her to Naboo after her wedding ceremony, now an identical one was taking her away. Her feelings on both occasions felt almost the same. There was the anxious grumbling of her stomach, the lightheaded feeling in her head and the erratic cadence of her heartbeat as she watched out the window. Stars and planets all passed by in equal measure and she checked her appearance in the window to make sure none of Mira's efforts today had been wasted. They'd packed her things quickly and spent the last two hours before Cara's departure carefully constructing her makeup and fixing her hair in an elaborate design of curls and braids that draped down her back regally. A cloak she'd been gifted for her wedding was hastily added to the pile of things to be taken and Mira draped it over her mistress's shoulders before it could be packed, "In case it gets cold milady."

Cara was grateful for Mira's foresight when they finally arrived. The dark, looming shape of the Resurgent-class Star Destroyer somewhat dissipated her excitement briefly as they prepared to board, drawing ever closer to its ominous presence. Her shuttle itself had been cool, but when she heard a knock at the door and went to open it a chill air rushed in to greet her and she pulled her cloak a little tighter around her shoulders for warmth.

She did her best to hold herself as she thought the General would want her to: head held high, back straight and arms at her side with soft footsteps as she descended the ramp and took in the cavernous metal loading hangar of the Finalizer.

A band of Stormtroopers had assembled on either side of the walkway for when she disembarked and as she walked down she felt her womb lurch as her eyes locked onto the face of her husband, waiting at the end for her. The corners of her mouth lifted almost imperceptibly at seeing him but she lowered her gaze submissively, so unsure of how she was to act around him when in the presence of others, especially here.

"Hello," he greeted her with zero emotion in his voice or expression, but when he offered her his arm she took it and allowed him to guide her across the loading bay, the troupe of white-armoured soldiers marching behind in two lines. Echoes of marching boots preceded them down the hallway and Cara watched as other Stormtroopers who approached would duck out of the way or press themselves against the wall to give the General and his entourage enough room to pass. She squeezed his arm for comfort and saw the goosebumps break out across her skin from the cold and something else. This was real, all of this was really happening. She was here with her husband aboard the ship she had only heard about.

They traipsed down a multitude of hallways turning right and left in such rapid succession she almost felt dizzy. The ship was even colder here and she resisted the urge to rest her head on his shoulder as he led her through the gray metal hallways, acutely aware of the dozen men marching behind them no doubt watching her every move.

At last they reached an empty hallway and her husband seemed to visibly relax after they rounded the corner and came in front of a door.

"Return to your posts!" he barked out the order so abruptly Cara jumped, gripping his arm even tighter. A keypad next to the door glowed and she looked up into her husband's face with shy eyes as he gazed down at her, clearly battling something in his mind as he did. Before she could say anything he turned to the keypad and punched in a code. Within seconds the door retracted into the wall with a swooshing noise and her husband's hand was on the small of her back, gently guiding her into the room.

It was certainly more sparsely furnished than what she was used to, Although she thought as the door closed behind them, It certainly suits his personality.

Everything was metal and gray. The table, desks, chairs; they all seemed to be made of chrome or stainless steel and polished to perfection. She wondered if they were regularly cleaned by someone or just so seldom used that they retained their pristine condition for long periods of time. Or perhaps he'd had the room specially cleaned for her arrival. That thought warmed her somewhat in the chilly room.

A dining table with one chair on either end sat in front of the door, leading into a small living area with a black sofa large enough for someone to lie across. A white rug that looked to be made of tauntaun fur adorned the floor in front of the sofa, which lay before a fireplace already lit and flickering in the dim lighting. There were two doors, one to her left and one beyond the sofa. Cara assumed one led to the washroom and one to the bedroom, although she quivered in anticipation of which one she could expect to see first.

The General had given her a few moments to look around and take in her surroundings, but once she seemed satisfied that she had her bearings he turned to her and clasped her hands in his.

"How are you?" he finally asked in his standard protocol voice. No matter how warm their relationship had become, no matter if they occasionally resorted to outright affection, she still had yet to see the man smile.

"I'm well," she grinned at him, determined to show enough happiness for the both of them as she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. She meant for it to be a brief kiss, one of chaste warmth and gratitude at their being together again, but she felt his hands close around her back in a tight embrace as she moved to pull away and instead he deepened the kiss, grinding his body against hers.

Cara's hands hung helplessly at her sides as she enjoyed his mouth against hers for the first time in weeks, smiling against his lips as his tongue danced with her own and his hands roamed freely from her back to places even lower...

A knock at the door interrupted them and they broke apart like two teenagers caught do something they know they'll be in trouble for. With a growl and a particularly licentious, possessive look towards his wife Hux wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve and vigorously pressed the black button connected to a small speaker in the wall next to the door, "Yes?"

"Sir, I've brought the food you requested for Lady Hux, unless this is not a good time in which case I can come back," a hesitant male voice responded, his tone suggesting he had enough experience with the General's personal affairs to hazard a guess this might no longer be a convenient time.

Her husband didn't answer, his breathing was still heavy and she noted that there was a distinct tent in his pants from their kiss. Without thinking she put her hand on his back in a comforting gesture and was just opening her mouth to respond that she didn't need to eat right now when he almost punched the button to open the door, turning away from their guest and quickly sitting down at the table, careful to scoot in enough that his erection would remain unseen.

The man who stood in the doorway bearing a tray of food was small and mouse-ish looking. His dark hair was combed over from a side part and his eyes wavered from the beautiful woman standing in front of him to the lethal expression of his superior officer gruffly sitting down at the table.

"Leave it here," Hux gestured carelessly towards the centre of the table and the man hurried to obey, averting Cara's eyes as she watched him lower the tray to the table's surface and step back to wait for further orders.

"Will there be anything else sir?"

"No, Mitaka, you are dismissed," the General's disdainful expression was directed at the tray of food now, but his glowering eyes intimidated even his wife. Cara watched Mitaka quickly leave, shutting the door behind him as he went. She was alone with her husband once again.

"Please sit," his voice was softer, less forceful and he leaned back in the chair, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger as if fending off a headache, "Are you hungry?"

She wasn't sure how she should answer. The General was clearly flustered at being interrupted from what she could only assume would have been an energetic reunion, but the truth was she was hungry in spite of her nervousness at being here in his element while being completely out of hers.

"A little," she finally responded, and moved to take the seat at the other end of the table, pulling the tray towards herself after she sat down.

Her husband observed her eat like he was observing an animal in the wild; silent, like he was afraid of spooking her, and watchful of every move she made from the way she lifted a cube of cheese to her lips to the way she handled the glass of wine, leaving the residue of her lipstick along the rim.

The wine was beginning to make her head feel fuzzy and blissfully warm, or maybe that was the fireplace behind her. Either way the hunger he'd woken in his wife began to stir in her loins violently, and she bent forward with the sensations roiling inside of her, trying to quell the craving a little longer so she could finish her food.

Hux noticed that something seemed amiss with his wife, though for the life of him he couldn't decipher what. He was too preoccupied trying to fight the urge to clear off this table right now and take her against it like he had that evening in their dining room on Naboo. Stars, how did she look even more delicious each time he saw her? The curve of her waist, so ideal for gripping, the slope of her neck, perfect for kissing, the hair so soft it felt like silk, and those lips... He shook his head minutely and chastised himself, this is not a permanent situation, and you know how much danger there is for her aboard this ship. You will breed her until she is finally with child then you will send her back to safety on Naboo.

The sobering reminder helped to reduce his raging erection but when he displaced his thoughts he noticed the almost pained way she was looking across the table at him and it finally struck him that she was every bit as anxious to finish what they had begun shortly after walking in as he was.

The General stood and she sat back in her chair as he walked over to her, making no attempts to hide his obvious arousal from her. She gulped down the last bite of her food and made to take another sip of wine; steeling herself against the tide that was rising within her.

Once she put the wine glass back onto the table she felt her chair being turned towards the General as he knelt on the floor between her legs, beginning to rub her thighs through her clothing. New goosebumps scattered across her arms and he murmured, "Are you cold?" as his hands caressed her face and brought it towards his own.

Heart hammering in her chest now Cara leaned forward, allowing herself to be drawn further into her husband's embrace as her hands wove themselves into his hair, "Not anymore," she whispered in his ear, and it proved to be his undoing.

Soon hands were fisting in hair, fingers pulling up skirts and tugging down pants as all the while he still knelt before her on the hard floor. Finally he dove beneath her skirt, his mouth delving inside of her so quickly she gave a squeak of surprise at the intrusion, having expected him to insert another appendage than his tongue. In no time though he had her squirming in her seat, holding the edges of the chair for dear life as he lathed his tongue over every fold of her sex, trailing up and down her slit so torturously her eyes rolled into the back of her head.

She thought he would continue until she came apart under his ministrations, but she was wrong. Just as she was on the cusp of her release he relented, pushing himself up and tugging his beleaguered wife to stand before he yanked up her skirts and pushed her onto the table, thrusting inside her with such force she came immediately, shrieking in ecstasy. His arms wrapped around her back to hold her to him as he carried her, thrusting the entire way to the wall by one of the as yet unopened doors. At first he tried to reach for the knob but within seconds of feeling his body tensing inside of her white hot heat he abandoned the effort, opting instead to use the wall at her back for leverage as he pumped into her with the power of a month's worth of missed couplings.

Cara felt so lightheaded she thought she would pass out, the ferocity of his thrusting only intensified as she felt him twitch inside her the way he always did when he was about to unleash his seed into her body. When he finally did cum she gasped at the feeling of pleasant warmth flooding through her, flushing her body with its potency as it sought for the channel that would allow it to complete its task. The knowledge of what could be taking place as well as the stutters of his hips feebly pumping the last few drops he had into her made her body arch against his as she came again, burying her face into his shoulder to muffle her cry.

Hux lost track of how long they stood there for, his member gradually softening inside her as they both struggled to breath normally again. He stroked her cheeks, her thighs still wrapped tightly around him, her hips made faint bucking motions against his own as she rode out the lingering remains of her climax. He kissed her earlobe and licked the skin directly below her ear, trailing his tongue down her neck and around to the other side where he repeated the process again. She whimpered in her helplessness, all but limp save for the legs still clinging to him so she wouldn't fall. He grunted as he re-positioned his hands underneath her again and carried her towards the couch where they collapsed in a heap. If he had learned anything about his wife in the bedroom it was that her orgasms took a lot out of her, and he had demanded a lot from their first rendezvous, so he couldn't be surprised that she struggled to move after his over-zealousness.

The couch was soft, although Cara was embarrassingly aware that she was still in her dress and cloak, both soaked now with the fluids seeping out from her. The General was a virile man to be sure, but even her fertile, young body could not hold the full bounty of his secretions, and she reveled in it. Now that she was here, Cara felt sure that her womb would respond in earnest to her husband's efforts. How could it not?

Gradually the weight of him on top of her became too much and she tried to wiggle beneath him, hoping a slight maneuver on his part would alleviate the discomfort without necessitating his complete extraction. As it was the General rolled off her onto the floor, pulling her after him where he lay on his back against the tauntaun rug, stroking his wife's shoulders as she lay atop him, ear resting directly over his heart.

"How was your journey?" he asked conversationally, and she smiled.

"Long," she admitted as she stretched on top of him, leaning up on her haunches to unfasten the clasp of her robe. She allowed it to fall behind her back, its silky texture draping across his bare legs where his pants were gathered at his knees, the bottoms still tucked into the tops of his tall black boots. "I was anxious to get here and see you," she admitted in a purr as she grappled for the hem of her long dress so she could hoist it above her head. Her body was humming with an unknown energy, alive with the sense of possibility she felt here in his presence. When the dress came free and she discarded it carelessly on the couch she heard his intake of breath at the sight of her breasts hanging free, the pert nipples dark and alert to his presence.

With a growl Hux sat up more and wrapped his arms around her back, "Were you, now?" he crooned, tracing her spine with his fingers as his tongue made swirls against her neck. Cara leaned her head back and groaned with the sensations, leaving scratches on his shoulders as she struggled to channel the urges coursing through her again.

By the next morning she'd enjoyed his attentions 3 more times, falling asleep in his arms after their initial tryst in front of the fire only to wake panicked in a pitch-dark room, reaching out for her husband to find he was wrapped around her from behind. The other 2 times were when he woke in the middle of the night with his erection poking into her backside, which he alleviated by reawakeing her arousal with his fingertips on her nipples. It had been strange not being able to see him or what he was doing, but her other senses were heightened in the lightless room and it made the experience all the more pleasurable.

Cara woke to a bright light out of the corner of her eye from a crack in the door across from the foot of the bed. She rolled over to look for her husband but found his side of the bed empty, and in her sleepy state she heard the familiar sound of a shower running. Too tired to get up and investigate, Cara laid her head back down on the pillow and fell into that hazy place between dreaming and wakefulness, her body rejecting both in favour of waiting to see what the General would do next.

The light spilling into the bedroom increased as the door swung open softly and she creeped one eye open to see her statuesque husband with a white towel around his waist drying his wet hair with another.

"Mmm," she moaned from the bed, drawing his attention and she held out her hand to him, hoping he would take her cue to hold it. He did, and when he came closer he bent down to kiss the top of her head, "I have to get ready for work, sleep now Cara. I will see you later."

Her eyes burned with the desire to heed his instructions and she closed them again, rolling over to his side of the bed which was significantly less sticky than hers and pulling his pillow into her arms to smell him.

Hux watched her and gave brief consideration to waking her fully again with his hands and his tongue, but he saw how peaceful and rested she looked and could not bring himself to interrupt. He savoured the way she inhaled deeply of his pillow and his view of the wide expanse of her bare back visible from where the sheets had fallen down. Fingers stroked her hair once, marveling at its softness before he pulled the bedspread up over her shoulders, noting how she had shook from the cold last night long after she ceased to shake from him.

He dressed methodically; each piece had to be donned in exact order and to perfect standards. The expectations he held for all of his crew he held even more stringently for himself. When all pieces were assembled and he felt ready to leave he took one last, lingering glance at his slumbering wife before slipping out the door and heading for the bridge.

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Cara woke much later to the sound of buzzing outside the bedroom door and then the sound of the door opening and closing a few seconds later. Alarmed, she sat up in bed, intently awake now at the thought that someone else might be in the General's chambers and she was still lying naked in his bed. Tugging the sheets from the mattress she wrapped herself in them and stumbled for the door, peering through the crack as she opened it just slightly.

There on the table she could see a fresh plate of food and nothing else. Tentatively, she opened the door and stepped out, flinching at the cold tile under her bare feet and noting the fire had long since burned out. Her stomach growled at the sight of eggs and bacon and toast with orange juice laid out in front of her chair. She noted that it had been pushed in since they'd abandoned it in their haste last night and she blushed at the memory, smiling like a schoolgirl at the butterflies that accompanied the traditional groans of hunger.

The other door she'd seen last night (as he husband pinned her to the wall next to it and thrust into her with reckless abandon) she discovered led to the washroom, which in turn had another door leading into her bedroom, the same one her husband had used this morning as he readied himself to leave.

Cara decided to eat her breakfast now before it grew too cold or she fainted from hunger. She sat in the same chair, wrapped in the black sheets from their bed and almost inhaled the food, even tempted to lick the plate clean. She hadn't realised how hungry she was until she sat back and considered how exhausting her activities had been. They had certainly worked up an appetite.

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Hux was in a good mood. Freshly showered and freshly satisfied only a few hours before he felt lighter on his feet than he ever had going to work so early. On the outside he was still cold and calculating, but inwardly he felt like sprinting down the hallway and slapping the top of every doorway he walked through.

At the bridge he barked his usual orders and displayed the same rigidness as every day, however he heart wasn't in it. Unbeknownst to him, his heart was left lying in bed towards the middle of the ship dozing the morning away. Hux still told himself that his feelings for her were not overtly affectionate, merely that he felt concern for her and a protective instinct which would not allow him to ever see her harmed. It had been a long time since he'd been shown any semblance of love, 25 years at least since he was taken from his mother's arms and brought to the academy by his father. Even if he felt love, there was no way for him to know what it felt like for comparison. What he did recognise that he felt for her though was powerful. He felt possessive, protective and defensive all at once, as though some silent malice were lurking around the corners waiting for the opportune moment to swoop in and destroy whatever meagre happiness he managed to find outside of his work, which of course it was.

Right on cue, he heard the robotic voice beside him, "Pleasant evening, General?"

Hux's reaction was nonplussed, "Yes, very pleasant," he replied, fingers dancing across the screen of his datapad as he typed out a message for one of his captains.

"I can see that," the usual tickling of his brain told him Ren was looking for something to use against him, but Hux merely allowed him to pilfer whatever memory he wanted, smug in the satisfaction that he had gotten laid multiple times last night and would again tonight, while to his knowledge Ren had gotten zero.

"It's dangerous to assume that I don't also partake in the same recreational activities as yourself General," Kylo Ren warned, "You obviously wasted no time in attempted to breed her again. I do wonder if it will take this time though. Perhaps your wife is barren, or perhaps..." his voice trailed off for effect, "You are not up to the task."

The red-haired man stopped what he was doing on the datapad and turned to stare dangerously at Ren. Underneath the mask, his opponent smiled, he knew he had struck a nerve to ruin the perfect mood emanating from the man he loved to goad.

"I have enough things to tend to on this ship without your speculations on my marriage or my wife. If you'll excuse me, some of us have important things to do." Hux walked off, his good mood gone, his temper flaring and his body in need of a release.

"Mitaka!" he snapped as soon as Kylo Ren had left and been gone for a few minutes.

"Yes General," the mousey looking man appeared beside him, face quizzical and ready to do his bidding.

"I have something I must attend to for an hour, see to it that the bridge continues in order during my absence."

"Yes General."

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After finishing her breakfast Cara had spent a lengthy amount of time in the washroom cleaning her body thoroughly after their many exuberant relations last night. Her body felt slightly sore, but in a good way that she knew from experience meant she would crave his hands on her again as soon as possible. Once out of the shower she wrapped herself in a towel like the one the General had used that morning. Her lithe, damp body sashayed around the rooms like a dancer on display; she felt vibrant and sexy. Her demeanor was heady with the power of knowing how much her husband desired her, how she was able to give to him something he wanted and enjoyed so much and to watch him fall apart in her arms as she did in is. It was a glorious thought.

She'd just finished drying her hair with a towel, the limp strands hanging down her back when she heard the door open again from inside the washroom.

"Cara?" her husband's voice called and her heart leaped into her chest. "In here," she called, rushing to open the door and expecting to find him in the same mood he'd left in; quiet and subdued as per usual. Instead she saw a second glimpse into what she had witnessed the day she sent word to him that he must come at once and she backed away from him under its austerity.

"Wh-What's wrong?" she queried nervously, afraid she had somehow done something wrong.

"Nothing," he growled and began to approach her, "Just some work issues, nothing to concern yourself with." The General slinked towards her like a predator observing what it was about to consume and she clung tightly to the towel wrapped around her.

He wasted no time in pulling her against him and she melted into the kiss immediately, forgetting the towel as her arms wrapped around his neck and let it fall to the floor. Her hips moved against him, gyrating with their need for pressure between her legs that only he could provide. The soreness forgotten, she moaned into his mouth and snaked one hand lower to cup the appendage peeking through the black pants of his uniform.

With a filthy groan into her mouth Cara distantly heard him say, "Bedroom. Now." as he pushed her in the direction of the door. Instead of throwing her on the bed when they reached it like he usually did, this time she felt his hands on her waist turning her around to kneel on the mattress. Naked already she did as she was told, but felt uncomfortably aware of her position on the bed as her husband admired her from behind still fully-clothed.

His fingers teased her slit and she felt the lubrication from her own body coating his fingers and listened to his grunt of approval.

"Always so wet for me, aren't you?" he asked, thrusting in 3 fingers and causing her to whimper. Her arms were braced downward on the bed and she wasn't sure this was how a lady should behave in the bedroom with her husband. Up until now she had done anything he wished, but this felt so lewd to be potentially taken this way, even though her body quivered in anticipation and the lips of her sex were red and puffy with want.

There wasn't long for her to deliberate before she heard the sound of a zipper and pants sliding down from the General's hips. If she was going to protest it was now or never, but when she felt the tip of him begin to slide in as he used one index finger to trail a delicate line down her spine she braced her legs more firmly on the bed and opened herself to him freely.

Hux thought he had lost his mind when he slid into her for the first time in this way. She'd always been tight, and hot, and wet. But this was something different entirely. This was a man taking his woman like an animal and he heard a dull roaring in his ears as he gave himself over to the primal instinct to mate frantically, rutting against her with the sounds of bodies slapping together and the squelching of her slit as it took in every inch of him even deeper than she had before.

"Ohhh!" she cried out and he placed his hands on her hips, holding her firmly in place against the onslaught of his cock inside of her. He watched the way her back arched from this angle and one of his hands found its way to the bud at the apex of her thighs where he began to rub frenetically, not wanting to leave her behind when he found his release. Cara continued to moan and press back against his thrusts, deepening the penetration even more and driving him crazy with desire for her even in the midst of having her. The movements of his thumb against the small bud seemed to make something click and he heard the noise in the back of Cara's throat that meant the beginning of her climax. Sure enough as he kept going she whined and mewled until finally it crescendoed and she came screaming around him, the walls of her sex fluttering against his cock as he held her hips in a vice and thrust so hard he thought she would protest, but all she could do was hold her bottom half up enough for him to finish.

He came with a roar, wrapping his arms around her front and holding her back to his chest as he finished inside her and then flopped onto the bed, pulling her with him.

"Wow," he gasped, "Wow, wow, wow. Incredible." His hand gravitated towards one of her breasts which he held delicately, enjoying the softness of it in his palm as he watched her face for some reaction. Tears were in her eyes and he brushed them away, still breathing heavily against her as he asked, "Are you alright?"

"Y-y-yes," she stammered, "That was s-so..."

"Intense," he finished for her, and she nodded, a look of almost alarm crossing her face.

"Does it always feel this good?" she asked innocently, and he kissed her forehead again. 

"Never before for me," he answered truthfully, then added an apology, "I'm sorry for taking you so abruptly. It was a stressful morning on the bridge. Some people are more difficult to work with than others."

To his surprise Cara laughed, humour dancing in her eyes as she smiled up at him adoringly, "If this is what happens every time you have a difficult day I can't say I hope you have any easy ones."


	6. The Dinner

Her days aboard the Finalizer became weeks and soon it had been almost a month since Cara had first arrived on board. The nights were usually filled with late dinners and multiple vigorous rounds of coitus before falling asleep exhausted, sometimes waking in the middle of the night to her husband's advances again. During the day she was left by herself in the room, often resorting to long baths and reading books the General managed to procure for her. Meals were always brought to her door and she was never permitted to leave, even when her husband was present, and when she asked why he was dubiously evasive – never giving a full explanation.

Too happy that she was here and able to spend the nights asleep in his arms, Cara did not press him further for details. She took the explanations he gave at face value – another trait which Hux was grateful for. While he was left to bear the brunt of Ren's mind-probing and taunts, he was glad to do it if it meant sparing Cara from the same. The man in the black helmet had been busy lately with a new lead on his uncle's whereabouts and was preoccupied with other things than Hux's wife – though the General knew this wasn't a situation that would deter him forever. Every day he reminded himself of the primary objective to Cara being here, and every day he did his utmost to ensure that there was no way she could not soon feel the effects of his efforts so she could leave.

One evening, after they'd retired to bed even earlier than usual following dinner, she lay gasping beneath her husband as he slumped off of her with a groan, body still shaking with the aftereffects of his climax. His arm was slung over her waist and pulled her back against him, their sweaty skin stuck against one another as he panted in her ear, trying to catch his breath.

After a few minutes when his breathing had slowed and she could feel the cadence of his heartbeat begin to calm, he spoke something directly into her ear from where his head rested on her shoulder.

"Tomorrow I have a meeting with some visiting superiors that I must attend."

Cara thought nothing of it; he was simply preparing her for his absence at dinner. She was never invited to leave the room for any reason—not even to see the other parts of the ship. When she asked the General why this was so he deflected the question as best he could, simply explaining that he was exhausted after such long days on his feet and preferred to come back to the comfort of his room and her arms. She had pushed him for a more in-depth justification for her pseudo-imprisonment, asking why she could not be shown the ship by someone else during his working hours if he was too tired to do it, and he had finally ended the conversation with, "There are certain people here who would be a little too interested in you being on this ship with me. I prefer to keep you out of sight and out of mind for them." From the way he said it, she could tell that the matter was closed.

Which was why she listened indifferently as he told her of the meeting he must attend—she was more than happy to lend him her ear, but none of it ever had anything to do with her. Cara's purpose on this ship was singular; get pregnant, go home.

"Aren't you going to answer?" his voice invaded her thoughts and she shook her head, realizing he had been talking this whole time and her too distracted to notice.

"I'm sorry, what was the question?"

"It wasn't a question. I'm required to bring you with me to this meeting. The orders come from my highest superior. I tried to argue against it but there is very little I can do – you'll need to be ready an hour before dinnertime."

Cara's eyes went wide and she turned in his arms to face him, pressing her naked breasts against the hard planes of his chiseled chest, the faint tickling of his few red chest hairs grazing across her nipples.

"Really? Could I see the ship as well?"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, shall we?" he arched an eyebrow with her and she could almost swear he was being sarcastic. It was still too hard to tell.

She surprised him by kissing him with fervor, and his bewildered lips took a second to register before responding. He hadn't understood how much she wanted to see the outside of their quarters, but from the way she molded her mouth to his and arched her body against him, he thought he could somewhat understand.

The next day was normal in most respects. Cara woke to the General preparing himself for work and rolled over to his side of the bed, wrapping her arms around his pillow as she nestled in the still warm indent on the mattress where he slept. Her eyes were closed as she felt sleep tugging her back into its welcoming embrace, but her husband's eyes watched her surreptitiously, observing the steady rise and fall of her back from the deep breathing of sleep and wishing he could climb back in next to her and feel her warm, naked body against his again.

Her bleeding was due to return in a few days' time but she had rejected his suggestions to allow their doctors to administer a test. Hux knew she was stalling for more time with him and he couldn't help but be flattered—indeed, part of him was happier at having her here with him. No more need to take a day off and go breed her when she was right here and ripe for the taking. No more coming back to an empty bed in his room and an ache in his drawers that needed a receptacle for his tension. There were many benefits to having a wife that you lived with he was discovering, but he feared if he waited much longer it would be even harder to let her go when the time came.

He made up in his mind to show her certain parts of the ship tonight, but only those which could conceivably be considered 'on the way' to his dinner meeting. Hopefully Ren would be so occupied with his own role at the meeting that he would be absent from the bridge. That still left the entirety of the meeting, but there was nothing to do for that at this point.

Hux had done everything short of begging Supreme Leader Snoke to not make him include his wife in tonight's affair but all to no avail. He suspected Ren had something to do with it, most likely planting false concerns in Snoke's mind about the general's effectiveness at leading the ship while balancing his obligations to his young wife. There had been no outright admission of this as a fact, but Hux was not a foolish man. He had not risen to the top by taking things at face value—especially where men like Ren were concerned and although he was dreading this evening he thought warmly of the special package being delivered to his wife and consoled himself that at least he would be the envy of every man in attendance tonight.

Cara did not wake for the sound of the knock on the door to their main chambers, nor the sound of it opening and closing. It was another hour before she stirred and made her way to the bathroom, taking care to bathe extra specially after last night's multiple rounds and tonight's important event.

When she finally plodded barefoot into the main living area to summon her breakfast there was a large, long white box laid out on the dining table. The length of it would easily reach from her feet to her shoulders if not more and she looked at it quizzically, searching the exterior for some note to indicate what it was or who is was for.

With no explanation to be found she finally summoned her breakfast to be brought in after another lingering stare on the pristine white package and sat in her husband's chair at the head of the table to wait.

Food came quickly here, as though brought by servants instead of soldiers. In spite of her desire to stay with her husband until the job they set out to finish was complete, Cara longed for the tranquility of her villa on Naboo—the light sounds of lapping water and soft birdsong, coupled with the familiar voices of the servants and the fresh air blowing up the sides of the mountains through her windows.

A buzz at the door admitted a young man she had seen before, with broad shoulders and sand-coloured hair. He observed her impassively and walked in to deposit her food in front of her without a word. As he turned to leave she stopped him.

"Wait! Do you know what this package is? Who it's for?"

His expression turned critical, "Your Ladyship, that package is for you, a gift from the General for this evening."

She looked at him stunned but he paid no heed, turning on his heel and almost marching out with all the stoic discipline of a career soldier.

Cara picked at her food, too curious about the contents within the box to be enamoured by a plate of bacon and eggs with toast. At last her curiosity got the better of her and she pushed her meal aside, standing to cross to the other side of the table where she gingerly gripped the edges of the package and lifted the top off.

Inside the package was a dress that took her breath away. A bright, orange-ish red color, the combination of jewels and sequins over a drapey satin fabric reminded her of the way her wedding dress had hung on her lithe frame. She admired the sweetheart neckline encrusted with orange diamonds that gave the appearance of firestone, and she knew immediately that's what her husband had intended her to wear with it when he gifted this to her.

Carefully she lifted the dress by its cap sleeves and gasped at the way the shoulders met with an open back, the diamond-encrusted neckline continuing over the shoulders and all the way down to the almost obscenely low back. She blushed at the thought of anyone but her husband seeing her in this, but that was not an option tonight.

A card fell when she lifted the dress fully out of its package to hold it up to her body and she bent to retrieve it.

I didn't know if you had anything suitable for this dinner so I took the liberty of having this made for you. Please be wearing it when I come to meet you tonight before dinnertime. I should arrive promptly at 18:00.

-H

Still too stunned to do anything but stare at the dress, Cara hastened to her room, careful not to trip over the long skirt in her rush to try it on.

By the time he had finished up at the bridge Hux was in a foul mood. His feet ached and his back was stiff as he marched down the long hallways and passed his inferiors with barely an acknowledgement. This day had been taxing to say the least and his favourite form of de-stressing was not an option for hours. Ren had been particularly tiresome and his nemesis was dreading this entire evening where the unpredictable Force-user might employ any number of methods to get to him, at the expense of his wife.

His stomach churned at the thought and he stood in front of his door after reaching it for a few minutes, glowering at an empty patch of wall and pinching the bridge of his nose to try and stave off an impending headache. At last he finally punched in the code for the door to open at 5 minutes to 18:00.

There was no sign of Cara in the living or dining area, and he decided to pour himself a scotch to calm his nerves before he tried to engage in conversations all evening. He sat down on the sofa facing the fireplace in the room and sipped judiciously—wary of drinking too much too fast and showing up drunk to dinner. No, that would not do. Impatient to get this over with, he was just looking at his watch to see the numbers turn to 18:00 when the bedroom door opened and out walked his wife.

Hux had never seen his wife looking anything less than he would describe as beautiful, but when he looked her up and down, surveying the way the dress clung to her curves and contrasted against her skin in conjunction with the firestone jewelry he had given her, and the curve of her neck that gave way to a graceful up do of cascading curls, he was struck speechless. Her makeup was light, there was little to improve upon with a face like that. Even the dress and jewelry were unnecessary; they merely served to accessorize the beauty that was already there.

Her husband rose with a look of rapture, something she had never quite seen from him before. It was strange in way to stand before him fully clothed and yet feel like he was staring right through her and seeing her as naked as he normally did. Warm hands reached out for his and she flinched when she felt his icy cold fingers entwine with her.

"Can you show me the back?" he asked her and she obliged, looking down at the floor to cover her embarrassment as she turned slowly to give him a full view of the indecent back of her dress.

His mouth watered as he watched her turn and he was given a full view of what his money and careful instructions had bought him. The dressmakers had attended to every detail, even improving on certain aspects such as the sequins which played off the light reflected by the diamonds. Every time she moved she shimmered, and the back was so low it ended almost directly above her derriere, those round cheeks accentuated by the cling of the fabric like they had the day of their wedding. All this combined with the color of the dress contrasted against her luscious skin made him feel weak with the need to take her.

Before he could be tempted further though she completed her loop and looked up at him with shy eyes and a smile—startling him with her happiness even here with nothing and no one to entertain her during his long hours. He quickly remembered his promise to show her other parts of the ship, but first his hand itched to reach out to her and caress the bare skin at the small of her back, stroking softly and noting with pleasure the small hitch in her breath that told him she was also overcome with desire for him.

Instead of indulging his fantasy of hiking up that heavy sequin skirt and taking her against the wall, he offered her his arm which she took gladly before pausing as she remembered her cloak. Quickly retrieving it Cara fastened the heavy black cape around her shoulders, grateful again for its warmth when they left the room and began their trek down the never-ending labyrinth of hallways.

True to his word, Hux took her to the bridge though they did not tarry as long as she would have liked. Her wide-eyed excitement was palpable to all who were watching her intently, curious to see the wife of General Hux at last. He made the effort to be patient as she asked him questions and he tried not to make his answers too short, but within a few minutes he looked at the time on one of the screens and tugged her towards him, "We must go."

Obediently, Cara followed him, linking her arm through his again while he led the way past hallways with doors, hallways without doors, hallways with lights overhead and hallways with windows looking out into the mass expanse of space. A particularly noisome hallway they passed to their left looked as if it led into a larger area but her husband pulled her onward. "That's one of the cafeterias," he explained and she nodded as if she'd already known.

He seemed fidgety to her, but she had barely ever seen him outside of their chambers or the villa, so she had nothing to compare his behavior to. Even so, it unsettled her—he wasn't acting like himself.

A hallway on the right led to a set of wide, double doors in a sleek, stainless steel design with the First Order insignia engraved in the metal of each. Stormtroopers flanked each side and at the sight of General Hux arriving with his wife they hurried to open them both simultaneously, admitting the couple inside with their ogling expressions hidden by their masks.

Cara didn't notice the way the Stormtroopers looked at her, nor the stares that she attracted once inside the large, open room. She merely noticed that all eyes seemed to be on them and assumed it was because of his husband's powerful position. It had never crossed her mind before that she was any more beautiful than the average woman, as she'd grown up in the shadows of her older sisters who were each as stunning as they were accomplished. The last daughter of the Barnaba dynasty was merely one of many pretty girls in her own estimation.

What she failed to consider was that her beauty had been the type to secure the most prestigious match of all her siblings, and that the men staring now rarely saw women other than prostitutes, as most female Stormtroopers were masked daily and made to room together far apart from the male dormitories. Most of the men in the room stopped mid-conversation, tugging at their collars to loosen the sudden tightness in their throat as she sashayed in through the doors, completely oblivious to her effect on them.

Her husband noticed though, and she felt her heart leap when his hand wound around her waist and rested on her hip, squeezing gently before he crossed the room to grab two drinks, a silent warning to all those in attendance who were watching: This one is mine.

She averted the gaze of everyone, keeping her eyes fixed firmly on her husband, watching the way he moved in his crisp uniform and how regimented he looked here as opposed to their private chambers. Even there he was disciplined, but on those rare occasions when she lay naked beneath him she thought she saw glimpses of the man outside the uniform, the one who took time to pleasure her and worried for her safety when she sent vague missives across the galaxy.

The General was turning away, a drink in each hand to walk back to her when he was intercepted by another man in uniform; this one much older, with white hair peeking out from under the brim of his hat and nose hairs that had not been trimmed for a long time. His appearance could almost be described as gaunt, like he had not slept for days. Cara caught a poignant look from her husband over the man's shoulder and smiled, understanding his plight and removing her cloak herself before handing it to one of the Stormtroopers positioned inside to take it.

If the mostly male group gathered inside had stolen secretive glances before, now they all stared openly, some mouths even agape as Cara sauntered around the table, trying to fight any sense of embarrassment at the whole of her back being visible while she headed for one of the hors d'oeuvres stations. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw another man in uniform approach her, younger than the one who had accosted the General, closer to her father's age and much heavier set. His stomach paunch led the way as he slid over to her like a snake and she felt her stomach roil at his proximity.

"Lady Hux," he addressed her with an exaggerated bow, "How lovely to see you at last."

Cara knew enough about her husband's position that she must be seen and seldom heard, yet there was no way around this conversation with the General engaged on the other side of the room and her alone.

"Thank you Mr…"

"Lieutenant Stevos," he finished for her, and his broad grin made her even more uncomfortable. She tried not to make it obvious that she was continuously glancing over to her husband and meeting his eyes from across the room.

The man made small talk with her and she obliged as well as she could, noticing the way his eyes traipsed up and down her body like she was an animal at auction and tamping down the nausea she felt at the thought.

"We're currently at work subduing the colonies on some of the Outer Rim planets, just a few million or so people but we need the space for expansion. The civilians will provide excellent manual labor"

"Mmmhmm," she murmured, not really listening.

Just as Lieutenant Stevos was opening his mouth to speak again she felt a hand on her waist and swung around to confront them when she saw with relief it was her husband, his green eyes piercing into hers with obvious concern. The look that passed between them held the unspoken question of whether she was alright and she nodded at him, thankful when he stood next to her and linked her arm into his, saying, "Thank you for keeping my wife company Lieutenant Stevos, I'm much obliged to you. I think they're ready for us to have a seat for dinner."

The General led Cara to her seat and pulled out the chair for her, making sure she was sitting comfortably before pulling out his own. Once they were both seated she felt his knee lean against hers beneath the table as his hands folded in front of him waiting for his food. Brazenly, she rubbed her legs against his and snuck a bemused smirk at him beneath her eyelashes which she knew he saw but gave no indication of until later in the meal when she felt his hand creep under the table to trace patterns torturously upon her leg.

She sat straight-backed in the large chair as the food was brought round, looking up and down the long table from time to time to observe the other men present. There were 15-20 of them and all in various military uniforms, all except one, whose presence she had somehow missed earlier. A man clad entirely in black was sitting up towards the head of the table and looked to be staring straight at her from his seat. He did not eat, in fact he barely moved at all, but she felt a lightheadness when she looked back at him that she couldn't explain—an uncomfortable tickling in her brain.

Conversation buzzed around her as the food was cleared away between servings and she ate quietly and carefully, not wanting to spill anything on this dress which had surely cost her husband a fortune. All the while she felt the man in black's stare on her accompanied by the familiar pangs of an oncoming headache.

Hux was not unawares that Ren was eyeing his wife across the table, but he was here for a specific purpose – to fulfill Snoke's order that he bring her and to present a strong face to the other First Order leadership present. As much as he wanted to climb across the table and throttle Ren for his obsessive lurking that would be the opposite of what he had come here for. He knew the man would never try anything untoward while in the presence of so many, and therefore he contented himself that Cara was safe—for the moment at least.

After the dessert was cleared away a number of men began to stand and give speeches. Most of them were the same, hollow words pledging undying loyalty to the cause and fervent devotion to the Supreme Leader. Their words were lost on Cara for the most part, though she sat there dutifully and looked every bit the part of a beautiful trophy wife. She smiled demurely when appropriate and kept a general look of polite interest as the hours rolled on. Even when she began to feel so tired she had to clench her jaw against yawning, she made sure no one could tell how ready she was to leave. Thankfully, the man in black seemed to have lost interest about an hour ago, but when she stifled the yawn that tried to escape her suddenly his mask turned its attention towards her again and the strange headache seemed to return.

At last her husband stood to speak, his voice ringing through the large metal room with such calm intensity she felt herself even more aroused at the knowledge that she belonged to him amongst this sea of lesser men. He spoke of the First Order's progress, of its rise from the ashes of the Republic and their devotion to restoring order to the galaxy, and seeking out the last remnants of the Resistance in their bid to secure the future for other generations. When he finished there was widespread clapping, something none of the other speakers had received, and this seemed to signal the end of the meeting because all of them began to stand and shake hands with each other as though preparing to turn in for the evening.

Hux pulled her chair gently out for her and snapped his fingers for one of the Stormtroopers to fetch her cloak. He was relieved thus far Ren had not managed to get near his wife; if only he could get her out the doors and back to their chambers they might avoid the disaster for another evening.

"General Hux!" one of his superiors called, "We must speak to you alone before you leave!"

He fought the urge to roll his eyes and clenched his fists instead. His face turned down towards Cara and murmured in her ear, "I shouldn't be long, wait by the door for me and I promise I'll take you home soon."

Her body shivered with sudden warmth at the thought of what awaited her when he did.

No sooner had she turned to the approaching Stormtrooper to take her cloak than she felt a presence behind her and the tugging of the cloak from her hand.

Cara whirled around to come face to face with the black mask and the man attached to it.

"Hello," she spoke low, suddenly afraid even here in this room full of men.

"I arrived late and didn't get to introduce myself. I'm Kylo Ren."

"I'm—"

"Lady Hux," he finished for her and she closed her mouth.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you," he continued, his voice marred by the robotic speakers in the mask, "I've heard so much about you."

By now she could see her husband watching them from where he was trapped speaking in a group of 5 others, helpless to come to her aid without incurring serious repercussions.

"H-H-Have you?" she stuttered, rubbing her arms for warmth. She suddenly felt very cold.

"Oh yes, or rather, I've seen so much about you," he sounded like he was teasing, but she couldn't be sure what was going on under that mask, much less what he meant by that. She hugged her arms around herself, eyeing the silken cloak still hanging in his hand.

"Allow me," he offered like she even had a choice and then his mask was bending down towards her and his arms encircled her neck, wrapping the cloak around her shoulders as she shook from his proximity. His thick gloved fingers fastened the clasp with ease and then released, opening his hands in a dramatic flourish as if to say, Look, I'm no longer touching you. His face however, remained uncomfortably close.

"Mmm, Cara," he murmured low in her ear, head bent forward and his menacing black mask making his words sound even more dissolute. She remained stoic, watching her husband's wide-eyed look of fury across the room from over this man's shoulder and trying to quell the shaking of her body.

"I can see why he's so taken with you, Cara, of course I've seen your face in his thoughts but it doesn't do you justice. You are breathtaking."

"Thank you," she whispered, noting with gratitude that the General had finally managed to extricate himself from speaking with the 5 superiors he'd been engaged in conversation with.

"You have nothing to fear from me," Kylo Ren lazily assured her, his tone switching to an almost bored tenor, "Although your husband is so possessive it does make it fun to toy with him, doesn't it?" Cara could swear he was smiling beneath the mask.

"Cara," the General's deliberately controlled voice addressed her over Kylo Ren's dark shoulder and the tall man turned towards her equally tall husband, both looked like two predators sizing the other up before a fight.

"Ren," Hux greeted him tersely, reaching around him for Cara's hand to pull her towards him. She obliged gratefully, glad to have something solid to hold onto in the midst of such tension. "It's time for us to go Cara," her husband informed her and she nodded, still looking fearfully at Kylo Ren, trying to gauge his reaction without the benefit of seeing beneath the mask.

"Farewell Cara," his robotic voice spoke, "Have a pleasant evening, both of you."

She felt her husband stiffen and inhale sharply, closing his eyes in a wince before steering her away from the man in black and half-tugging her towards the exit. When Cara looked back over her shoulder she noticed Kylo Ren watching them as they went.

Outside in the hallway the General paused and took a series of deep breaths, turning to face his wife and she looked at him in alarm. His reaction had come after another assault on his mind of images projected by Kylo Ren. Cara's warm, lithe body twisted around his in a mess of sheets and sweat, his lips on her neck and his dark, lank hair sullying the pillow; his pillow Hux noticed. Ren projected more of his sick fantasies about taking his wife, and had no qualms with the additional indecency of setting them in his own bed.

A soft palm on his cheek made him open his eyes and glance at her concerned face before sweeping up and down the hall for anyone approaching. "Not here," he chastened, and captured her hand in his own, pulling her after him in the direction of their chambers.

Once back in their room Hux released his firm grip on her and strode across the living space, beginning to fumble with his collar in this stuffy room. He knew it was not the temperature that was the problem, it was his internal fury at the way Ren tried to torture him so relentlessly. Cara was his—her body, her future; her life was held in his hands. That made it his duty to protect her, to care for her, to give her children… and hopefully soon to get her out of this place.

Small, deft fingers snaked around behind him and brushed away his hands to help undo the collar.

"Thank you," he said softly, clenching and unclenching his fists as he waited for her to be finished. When she had freed his neck he watched enamored as she came around to face him and help remove the rest of his jacket.

"What happened?" she asked him, the firelight flickering against the warm hue of her skin while she worked, helping him discard the jacket onto the sofa when she was finished.

The General didn't answer, merely watched her ravenously, his hands moving of their own accord as he too reached up to unfasten the cloak covering her to reveal the bare skin of her shoulders and the thin straps of her dress. He knew he should answer her—explain what Kylo Ren had done to unnerve him, warn her about how he could be, but right now all he wanted was to kiss her and be inside her, to banish all thoughts of seeing another man atop his wife, her legs wrapped around his waist as he pummeled her with pleasure.

Her husband pulled her body against his suddenly and she forgot what she had asked him as she moaned at the sensation of his erection poking her through the bejeweled fabric of her dress. His hands roamed over her waist and hips to stroke up her back, finding the fastens of her dress easily and brushing the straps from her shoulders at last until the satin folds pooled at her feet.

Finally he kissed her, hands weaving into her hair and gripping almost painfully, but she resisted the urge to correct him. She didn't know exactly what had happened or what the history was between the two men, but she knew enough to see her husband was visibly distressed and needed a release. This was her job, her privilege as his wife to help him find it.

Cara lowered herself to the floor and began to undo his pants. His breath hitched when she brushed against the space where his appendage strained against the fabric, and heaved a sigh when she slid the waistband over his hips and down to the floor. Tentatively, she cupped him with one hand and gripped the base of his long shaft with the other, biting her lip before taking the plunge and opening her mouth to admit him.

The General let out a noise that was a cross between a gasp and a moan. Purely animalistic in its undertones, she looked up at him and smiled, her pink lips fastened tightly around his cock.

"Cara," he growled as his head rolled back and his eyes closed at the sensation. His small wife inexpertly massaged the fleshy sac as her lips and tongue explored this uncharted territory. Her husband had performed such services for her frequently, but as yet she had never reciprocated the favour.

Hux's hands wound their way into her hair in an attempt to hold himself steady. When he knew he could last no longer he pushed her gently away then bent to help her stand, scooping her into his arms and carrying her to the bedroom beyond.

They rolled across the bed over and under over and under as one unit, his fingers trailing down to test her wetness, finding her panting and ready. He sheathed himself inside her with no additional thoroughfare and she cried out deliciously, rocking her hips against him as she wrapped her legs around his waist and held his shoulders. The pace was harsh, demanding as he thrust relentlessly, wanting to rid himself of this seed of insecurity left by Kylo Ren as he planted his own seed in his wife once again.

It had been weeks since she arrived and everyday Cara waited to feel something, anything that would indicate their efforts had finally come to fruition. As her husband thrust into her one final time she felt her body release and flood her veins with such euphoric sensation she barely registered the meek stutters of his hips indicating he had reached completion as well and pumped the last drops of his essence into her.

For hours afterwards they laid there, sheets and limbs strewn about the bed in careless fashion as they dozed in and out of sleep, her husband's face buried into her neck where his lips could lightly kiss her shoulders in his brief bouts of wakefulness. Cara's dreams were of children running barefoot through the fields in the lower valleys of the mountains on Naboo, his were of Ren chasing his wife through the ship while Hux remained imprisoned behind glass walls, doomed to watch but never be able to help. At one point, he awoke with a start in a cold sweat and sat up, breathing raggedly then panicking when he felt for her body next to his and could not find it.

A retching sound in the bathroom startled him and he burst out of bed, rushing to fling open the door where a small sliver of light peeked out.

Cara was bent over the toilet, dressed in a gray robe she'd brought from Naboo and heaving the entire contents of her dinner into the bowl, tears streaming down her face.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed, "I didn't want to wake you."

Hux bent down and rubbed her back softly, pulling her hair out of her face and wiping the tears from her cheeks as she puked again while trying not to look in the bowl as he flushed it for her. She dry heaved a few more times and then finally stilled, forehead resting on her arms.

"Must've been something I ate," she moaned softly, as a look of comprehension dawned (unbeknownst to her) upon her husband's face.

The General helped her up, lifting under her arms gently as he coaxed her back into the bed, promising to call for a doctor. Cara slipped back into an uneasy sleep as Hux telecommed the medical bay to send someone immediately and sat on the edge of the bed to wait. If his suspicions were confirmed… he could send his wife back to Naboo and solitude—and safety from Kylo Ren.

After hearing the buzz at the door to their main chambers Hux rose to admit the medic inside. They found Cara in bed still wearing the robe, her forehead clammy after being so sick. In the corner she could hear the dull monotone of male voices speaking too low for her to understand and soon she felt a sharp pain in her arm combined with hands holding her down.

She opened her eyes in alarm to see a needle drawing blood and looked up frantically to see the hands imprisoning her belonged to her husband, "Wha-whaa?" she asked, bleary-eyed and confused.

"It's nothing Cara, just taking a test to make sure you're okay. Go back to sleep."

Somehow comforted by his vague explanation she felt herself fall back asleep within moments of the needles being extracted, her exhaustion preventing her from hearing his instructions to the medic on what to test her blood for back at the medical bay.

At last Hux lay down beside his wife and pulled her to him, hoping the erratic thumping of his heartrate would not wake her. If this was true it would change everything, if not she would likely try to remain here even longer, and after last night's spectacle he felt very concerned about the idea of keeping her here for another month. This would be the happy ending they had both wished for, wouldn't it?

An hour later the telecom buzzed with a message and Cara stirred, wrapping her arms around the General so that it restricted him from turning to reach the device. Gingerly, he extricated himself just enough to turn around and sit up, but the movement woke the sleepy woman next to him and she opened her tired eyes delicately, watching her husband read the missive on the screen.

Then, for the first time in her life, Cara watched her husband break into a smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Sorry for the longest wait ever I've been so bad about updating on this story. Not sure how many more chapters there will be at this point but as you can tell big chances are in store for the Huxs. (Did anyone hear the prequel novel that was released which gave details into Hux's backstory? Basically undid all of my imaginings LOL.) Anyways, please let me know what you think!


	7. The Baby

Cara watched her husband's fingers as they traced delicate circles over her flat belly, savouring the way her body erupted into goosebumps at the sensation. His smile, the first she'd ever seen from him, had taken her breath away when she looked up and saw it, before he had explained to her what the tests revealed. The wide grin had lessened to a soft lifting at the corners of his lips, but at last every time she looked at him there was the semblance of a smile on his face and her heart lifted at the sight.

Hux's mind was suddenly occupied with so much inner turmoil. This was what he wanted after all, to breed her and send her home to concentrate on his work, so why did he feel so listless at the thought of having her return to Naboo? There was no question of what he must do—he was a man of order and regardless of his feeling he would never jeopardise his position so she must be sent back as soon as possible, perhaps even tonight.

Still, his hands moved of their own accord drawing shapes across her stomach, caressing the flat plane where his unborn child now grew. He propped himself up on one arm as he continued and Cara's eyes followed his fingers before finally looking back at his face, noting how softened it looked—more so than ever before. He seemed enraptured with the news and she lay there peacefully, letting her fingers reach up to stroke his hair and idly wondering if their child would have his locks or hers.

Finally he peeled his eyes away as though broken from a trance and looked at her with such poignancy she felt her whole body squirm in delicious anticipation of something she couldn't quite place. She took a chance and leaned up to kiss him, gripping his bright red hair in her hands in an effort to pull him down to her. Knowing that they had succeeded, knowing she was able to do her duty by him as his wife—both of these thoughts left her jubilant and desperate to feel him against her, like an acknowledgement that this was real. Suddenly his hands were both in her hair, his body atop hers and grinding into her hips with frantic desperation. If she thought he would tire of her once the task was complete she was mistaken, indeed learning of his success only seemed to increase his fervour and before she knew it he was sliding the robe off her shoulders and suckling at her breasts ravenously, using one hand to slip his boxers over his hips.

Her husband's lips kissed a trail down to her bellybutton, lathing themselves over the skin where his fingers had been trailing and pausing to leave one chaste kiss directly over her womb, looking up to meet her eyes before bringing his mouth lower.

Cara's legs were spread, his hands holding her ankles as he worked to pleasure her sex more than he ever had. Her husband's tongue slid through each fold individually, taking his time but keeping a steady pace before allowing the appendage to delve inside of his wife, coating her walls with spit to lubricate his coming intrusion.

That wasn't enough though, he wanted to make her cum for him this way, to show her how grateful he was, how happy that she was the one he had been tied to, who would bear his children for the future Hux dynasty. He felt her wetness seeping out of her and increased his pace, concentrating on her clit while his fingers snaked inside her one at a time until she cried out, arching her back and pushing against the headboard for something firm to hold onto.

Her mews and low moans only fueled him to continue, releasing the grip of his remaining hand on her ankle and wrapping his arms around her thighs to hold her steady against the oncoming climax. Cara's hips shook with the intensity of it and he planted soft kisses on the inside of her thighs, feeling her wetness coating his face before he attacked her labia again.

This time, he sucked the pearl of her clit into his mouth and worried the nub with his tongue so torturously that she bucked her hips against him and cried out, thrashing with her body's inability to handle this.

"Hold still," he growled, tightening his grip on her legs and the words were enough to send her over the edge with the underlying threat – I'm not done with this until you cum.

Cara screamed with the veracity of her climax, hands fisting his hair and continuing to emit a string of increasingly softer groans as she rode out the sensation, her body falling limp around him—helpless against the reactions he drew from her.

Smiling again (how had she gone so long without seeing him smile like this? It was breathtaking) he crawled back up to lick from her pubis to her womb again up her stomach then to both of her breasts, massaging and fitting each into his mouth one at a time as he rubbed his erection against the damp heat between her legs, desperate to be inside her.

"P-p-please," she stuttered, but wasn't sure what she was pleading for; only that he could provide it and she needed whatever it was at all costs.

Slowly, ever so slowly he slid himself inside her, his limbs on fire at the sensation of her white hot walls encasing him as she gasped at the intrusion. She was always so tight, so warm and ready for him; how could he ever bear to send her away?

He set the pace high, barreling into her but trying to be gentle for the sake of his child floating inside of her now, blissfully oblivious to the activities of its parents. Her pussy tightened around him as it prepared itself for another climax and he felt his body tense with the building pressure, almost ready to blow his load into the receptacle which had already made much use of it. The friction was building between them so highly he felt like a tightrope ready to snap and knew she would be right behind him as he did.

When he came it seemed to pull out every bit of energy his body had, erupting inside her at the feeling of her walls clenching around him as she screamed through another heavy climax. He could have sworn he came buckets inside her, enough to father a planet while he groaned above her, mouth hanging open—trying to keep his full weight off of her until she was finished.

Cara felt sure she was dead, there was no way a body could handle so much and survive she thought as her husband rolled onto his back and brought her light body with him, his cock still inside her as it gradually softened with the release. Instead of panting his exhaustion and falling asleep like he wanted to, he kissed her hard on the mouth again; finding himself almost roused to go for a another round, so inexplicably hungry was he for her body even more than usual. She was the one who pulled her mouth away, eyes so glazed he knew she could not handle it again for several hours so he relented. Soon he would have to rise for work, but he would send a medic back to run several more tests and then he would pick a day to send her back to Naboo. Probably not tonight he decided… he didn't think he could part with her after something like that without enjoying it a few more times. Perhaps tomorrow… or the next day… next week…

His wife's gentle breathing on the planes of his chest alerted him that she had fallen asleep, his now soft appendage finally slipping out of her with a slurping sound and he felt the result of his efforts leaking out of her onto the mattress and seeping beneath him. Yes, he would need a shower first, and then hurry to dress and get down to the bridge.

Carefully, he slid her off of him to her side of the bed, a low moan of "Nooooo," his only indication she was cognizant of anything after such an explosive ordeal. Quickly he bathed in the fresher and dressed himself, grabbing the datapad on his way out and shutting the bedroom door behind him, admiring her exhausted, sleeping frame draped across the bed peacefully. How he wanted to let her stay here, for some inexplicable reason he loved the thought of watching her grow from day to day, month to month, her belly becoming round with his child. He was aroused at the thought of her breasts beginning to leak milk and the staff on board seeing his wife periodically in her progress of growing a baby inside of her—each one knowing what her husband had enjoyed and the fruits of his labour.

Outside their chambers in the hallway he shook his head at the thought, those were foolish musings, she was here for one purpose and now that she had fulfilled it the time had come for her to go; back to the tranquility of the villa and the safety of Naboo. Her servants would care for her much more attentively and to her liking there, unlike the harsh, reserved people aboard the Finalizer. Of course, he remembered as he typed out a quick missive for the medical bay to attend to his wife for more tests, she would also be away from Kylo Ren.

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This time Cara woke to the sound of knocking, but she felt so tired it was almost like hearing it from underwater. The knocking seemed to be coming not from the main hallway, but from her own bedroom door. No sooner had she sat up to try and get herself out of bed than the door opened, admitting the same medic from earlier this morning, walking in to find Lady Hux sitting up in bed, bare breasted and facing him with the shiny evidence of her earlier excursions still glistening on her stomach and chest.

"Oh! Your Ladyship!" the medic panicked and looked immediately down, terrified that he would be sent to the bowels of the ship for presuming to walk in and find the General's wife in such a state of undress.

Cara grabbed at a sheet and quickly covered herself; cheeks flushed bright red with humiliation that anyone save her husband had seen her body in this kind of way. "Can I help you?" she asked meekly, too ashamed to meet his eyes either.

"My Lady, the General sent me by to withdraw some more blood for testing, he wanted to make sure you and the baby are both in good health."

She cleared her throat, trying to remember that in this situation she was the affronted party as well as the wife of one of the most powerful men on this ship and should not be intimidated by a careless medic. "Please wait in the living area and allow me time to refresh and dress myself," she found her voice and spoke with authority she didn't know she had.

The man nodded and hurried to exit the room, closing the door softly behind him and she could see the terror in his eyes. He must be afraid I'll tell the General, she thought, and then considered the likelihood that he would spread the story of his discovery of a lady of noble birth, naked in bed covered in her own juices in the late morning. No, it would not do she decided in the shower, washing her body clean of the evidence from her husband's attentiveness and toweling her limbs dry. After she donned a light purple dress and robe, sweeping her wet hair over her shoulder she emerged to find the panicked medic sitting at the table, twiddling his thumbs nervously like a man on death row.

"Ahem," she cleared her throat again, "I believe you said you still have some tests to run?"

He stood abruptly, eyes traveling everywhere in the room but her face, and she decided to take the hard approach. "I doubt my husband would approve of you walking in on me undressed, but I suspect he would be more apt to punish you if he found out you spread news of it throughout the ship. I am willing to keep this between us if you can be trusted to do the same. Know that if word of it travels though it will undoubtedly meet my husband's ears and then I will have to receive an earful, and your punishment will likely be far worse. I suggest you forget what you have seen and hurry to comply with his instructions." She felt composed, powerful even as she spoke to him like the noblewoman that she was. For the first time she felt like the lady she'd been brought up to be. Calm, dignified, and aware of her position and ability to keep people's mouths shut through intimidation, especially when it was in both their best interests.

He finally met her eyes and nodded, pushing back his seat and urging her to take it as he began to unpack his medical bag for the 2nd time that day.

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At the bridge Hux was so distracted by thoughts of that morning he failed to notice Kylo's approach until the tickling of his brain announced that he was too late to change his course of thought and keep the news from him.

"Congratulations," he said in mock excitement, clapping a hand awkwardly onto Hux's shoulder, "You've succeeded at last General."

Hux looked both ways to ensure they were out of earshot before replying through gritted teeth, "This is a private matter Ren, something with which you seem incapable of understanding or respecting."

The man ignored him, "Have you informed the Supreme Leader Snoke? I believe he will be most interested to learn you've achieved your goal with your brood cow at last."

The General closed his eyes and counted to 5 to prevent his hand from lashing out without thinking and attempting to strangle the man before him.

"I have not told him yet, but then you already know it so why ask?"

Ren shrugged his shoulders, "Just curious I guess," his mask turned away from the General and surveyed the rest of the bridge as if already bored of this, absently picking through the minds of his subordinates for anything of interest.

Hux paused before offering, "I plan to tell him at our meeting this morning," he spoke as if offering some news of little consequence instead of something so important. Ren didn't fall for his nonchalance though.

"And then you'll be sending her away?"

Damn him for reading minds! "Correct," Hux replied testily.

"A pity," Ren sighed dramatically, "She is nice to look at—should be even more so when she starts showing. Too bad you're likely to miss all of it."

The roiling of Hux's stomach gave a violent lurch at the reminder and his face burned with the indignation of it. "That's my concern," he snapped, turning on his heel, "Not yours."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When he arrived for his meeting with Snoke there was no need to tell him. The holographic image of the man was still powerful enough to read minds and before he had even completed his walk down the metal bridge of the throne room the Supreme Leader's gravelly voice applauded him with muted interest, "It seems your efforts have paid off General, I must offer my congratulations."

He came to stand at the foot of the throne, his posture rigid as he bowed to the shimmering image atop it. "Thank you Supreme Leader."

The grisly mouth moved again, forming the words, "So what do you plan to do with her now?"

"I will be sending her back to Naboo within the week to remain for the rest of her pregnancy there."

"Indeed," Snoke mused, "But is that what you want General? Truly?"

Hux was taken aback, "What I want my Lord is to be a dedicated servant of the First Order free of encumbrance or distraction. Your good graces allowed me to bring her on board for the express purpose to which we have succeeded. There is no need to detain her any longer."

Snoke's gruesome face broke into a hideous smile, "Good."

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It wasn't until the end of the day when he was heading back to his chambers and his wife, eager for a repeat of this morning that he was approached by one of the ship's doctors. A man in a white lab coat with a close buzz cut on an already balding head met him as Hux was turning the corner to vacate the bridge and make his way to Cara's arms causing him to pause in his course, irritated at the interruption. There wouldn't be many more times to enjoy her company and he wanted to make use of every free moment.

"General," the doctor addressed him formally; "I have the lab results from the tests you requested."

Something about the way he said it gave Hux room to pause and he narrowed his eyes at the doctor, "And?"

The doctor thrust out a manila folder he'd been holding to the General and lowered his voice to explain, "Your wife has a concerningly low platelet count for how early she is in her pregnancy. Although she and the fetus are not currently in any danger I would strongly advise she go on bedrest immediately so we can continue to monitor her condition. It's rare to see this so early but within a couple of weeks or months her body should likely bounce back and she will be fine."

"My wife is returning to Naboo shortly," Hux bristled at the news, scouring the results for something that might indicate the doctor was exaggerating although he would have no idea what that could look like.

"Oh!" the doctor exclaimed in mild alarm, "With all due respect sir I would strongly advise against travel for her at this stage. Who would be her medical staff on Naboo? Who could she keep on hand to help her should her condition deteriorate? The best case scenario for her and your child is to keep her here indefinitely where she can be well-looked after by our medical staff and ensure she and the baby are getting everything they need."

Hux felt like the floor had been ripped out from underneath him and he was about to tumble over the edge of some unseen precipice, his stomach tightened inexorably at the doctor's words.

"How long?" he snapped, refusing to let his emotions show.

"We estimate she is 2-3 weeks along sir—"

"No," he spoke impatiently, "How long does she need to stay here?"

The physician sputtered at the question, "Um, well General at least through her first trimester, roughly another 2.5 months. After that we could reevaluate whether it would be safe for her to travel so far away from medical help." His voice trailed off in such a way that it was obvious he did not consider the idea very safe, but upon seeing Hux's glare he held up his hands in a conciliatory gesture as though admitting defeat.

"Very well—I appreciate the information you've brought to me. You're dismissed."

With a salute to his superior officer, the doctor turned and left the way he came, leaving Hux standing a dozen steps away from his door with a lump in his throat. Cara would go along with whatever he said most likely—but how would he explain this to Snoke? Especially after this morning's conversation? Then the unwelcome image came to him of the chief reason he wanted her off this ship, Kylo Ren.

Inside he found her resting on the couch, fire blazing in the hearth and reading a weathered red hardcover book he'd managed to scrounge from somewhere in the bowels of this ship. She smiled when she saw him and held out her hands to him, indicating he should come closer.

He bent down to kiss her forehead. "Hungry?" he offered, prepared to go and ring for dinner even though his stomach still felt too unsettled to eat.

"Tired," she answered him with bleary eyes, rubbing circles on the back of his hand with her thumb comfortingly. He kneeled next to the couch and she stroked her fingers through his hair, sighing in contentment.

"How do you feel?" he asked, his right hand moved to her womb without a second thought, already accustomed to checking there, waiting for the day he might feel his son or daughter move.

"Tired," she repeated with a light chuckle, "A little nauseous, but lying down helps with both."

The General returned her smile and her heart felt like it was soaring. There was a tension to his shoulders though and a shadow seemed to cross over his face as soon as the smile appeared.

"What's wrong?" she asked him.

Her husband looked at her long and seriously—so much so that for a moment she worried he would say it had all been a mistake and she was not pregnant, that there was no baby and she was still as barren as she feared she might be. Instead he took her hand and squeezed it, another wholly uncharacteristic show of affection from the normally aloof one she'd married.

"One of the physicians says that you have a low platelet count and they want you here to monitor you and the baby closely until it rises, just as a safety precaution," he finally told her.

Cara's eyes listened as much as her ears did, looking for any indication from him that she should be worried. Then it dawned on her what this was really about.

"You don't want me to stay onboard the ship, do you?"

His gaze turned from his hand on her stomach to her face suddenly and he looked almost stricken, "Yes and no. I had hoped to send you back to Naboo and safety. A warship is no place for a noblewoman, especially in your condition now."

She nodded, understanding his reasoning, but her eyes burned with unshed tears at the thought of leaving him here alone again, just to return to her seclusion in the mountains and not see him for months or even years. "I don't want to go," she finally told him, her resolve firm.

The General closed his eyes like he had been expecting her to say that and heaved a sigh, "I know, but this is not a safe place for you. There are threats both outside and inside that I would protect you and this baby from. When the time comes that a doctor clears you to leave you must be willing to go, understand?"

An briefly intense stare-off occurred then with neither backing down, their gazes boring into each other waiting for the other one to relent, but finally Cara blinked and the moment was broken, as was her determination to win. She didn't answer him, but he knew by her expression that the argument had been won in his favour.

He stroked her hair with the other hand and pressed gently on her stomach as he leaned in to kiss her. It was inexplicable the feelings that coursed through him for her but they had come on so gradually that he hadn't considered the implications of it until it was too late. He cared for her; deeply. Finding out she was carrying his child finally showed him that even though most of his previous actions already had. As he climbed over top of her on the couch, careful not to displace too much weight on her womb especially, he kissed her tenderly and felt her melt into it—her tongue swirling against his lazily as if she had all the time in the world to enjoy this and wanted to take her time.

Hux felt an ache in his heart when he looked down at her, eyes bright and beautiful as he dropped his hands to the waist of her pyjama pants and slid them over her hips, unbuckling his belt deliberately slowly as his wife bit her bottom lip in anticipation. Her own hands lifted the hem of her loose black shirt over her head to reveal the soft mounds of her breasts, their peaks firm and making his mouth water at the sight.

This time he didn't attack her—this was not business as usual. He wanted to take her slowly, torturously as he enjoyed every moment of it instead of barreling forth until they both reached a climax. Fingers parted her folds below and languorously explored her sex as he had dozens of other times, but never like this.

Cara's head fell back against the sofa cushion as she rode her husband's hand, desperate for faster friction which would bring her over the edge but he would not have it. He teased her walls and curled his fingers inside her, adding an additional one after each minute until he had sheathed 3 and could watch as she threatened to come undone.

"Please," she begged, the telltale moisture in her eyes threatening to spill over with the depth of her need, "I-I-I can't.." her voice trailed off and lips remained parted as his fingers reversed course and began spinning counter-clockwise inside her.

"You will," he spoke authoritatively, as in control as ever.

She whimpered as she rode his hand and his mouth encased her nipples, but he always took care not to touch the pearl at the apex of her thighs. He wanted to allow the pleasure to build up to such a peak that she never recovered from it when it finally crested. He needed to see the look in her eyes that she always gave after he made her cum—the one that spoke of satiation and bliss, of agonising anticipation and release.

A low growl in his throat emitted when she tried to buck her hips against him to get friction and he knew she was almost at her breaking point. Cautiously he left the three fingers inside her, gyrating at an increasing rhythm while his other hand lifted her hips up, thrusting onto his cock immediately after his digits were removed.

Cara screamed with the intrusion like she had the first time he took her on their wedding night, but he knew by the way her lips were parted and her heart beat wildly against his chest that the feeling for her was nothing like that night.

"Cum for me baby," he whispered in her ear as he began to thrust slowly, massaging the pearl between her legs at last as he watched the pleasure begin to peak.

"Oh oh ohhhh," she moaned out, eyes tightly closed against the feelings coursing through her and he increased the tempo of his thrusts, eyes locked onto her face so he could see that moment she came to completion.

When she finally did it was so strong, so violent in its intensity he felt the walls of her quim clench around him so ferociously tight that he came immediately, a roar in his ears like a steam engine as he pumped each drop into her until there was none left to give. It was a few minutes before he felt like he could move again, but when he did he bent his damp forehead down to press against her own as he basked in her. This woman. His wife. The mother of his children. The propagator of his future dynasty. She had unraveled him in every way possible and he was now completely undone.

There were words on the tip of his tongue as he watched her expressions range from exhilarated joy to utter exhaustion, but he swallowed them when she turned to kiss him again—gently, then closed her eyes as if she couldn't keep them open another minute.

He carried her to the bed, seeing the stains they had left on the sofa and making a mental note to have one of the custodians clean that up later. For now all he wanted was to lie next to her and watch her sleep peacefully, his child alive inside her.

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A few months passed and Cara's team of physicians –the General had seen to it she had several—all agreed she was showing signs of improvement; however, they still needed her to stay here longer before they could be sure.

Snoke had taken it well, all things considered. His grave appearance was not altered one way or the other by Hux's admission that Cara needed to remain longer than anticipated. He merely waved his hand as though faced with an irksome insect and agreed that she might stay as long as the doctors deemed necessary, so long as it did not interfere with the First Order's plans going forward.

Ren continued to be a nuisance, but with the doctor's recommending strict bedrest Hux was glad he had another excuse not to allow her to leave their chambers for any reason. His high position meant that the doctors came to them, not the other way around, and so each day he was able to leave the room feeling confident that Cara was in the best care possible, and being kept far away from the biggest danger to her he could fathom. That thought left him free to work without encumbrance, and thus they continued on as they had since Cara's arrival on the Finalizer. In the mornings Hux would steal away while she slept and return before dinner. Her hours were now mostly occupied with meals, reading and visits from the doctors who came in 3 times a day at her husband's behest.

Her stomach began to pooch out just slightly around the 4 month mark. It was almost indiscernible to anyone except Cara, but she stared at herself in the mirror for hours turning each way to see it from different angles whenever she wasn't with the doctors or bent over the toilet.

The General was even more attentive as time went on—ordering things from other parts of the galaxy he heard might help with her morning sickness and purchasing small gifts to be delivered every few days. Their nights were still filled with passion, but it was of a different kind now—a sort of relaxed feeling that they had accomplished their goal and could now simply enjoy the act itself. She had worried he might no longer desire her once she was with child, but that proved to have been a vain concern. If anything he wanted her more often than ever, though more gentle in his treatment now, not that he had ever been anything less before. Still, there was more tenderness in his touch now, more adoration in his eyes as he brought pleasure to the woman he had not even known 6 months ago. Yet when she lay beneath him and felt his shaft gradually deflate inside her after finishing she felt a joy in her heart that was separate from her joy over the baby.

It had been several months in the making, but one morning as she heard him shuffling around the room in the darkness to prevent waking her before leaning down to kiss her forehead, she felt the words bubble up inside her so quickly they almost escaped.

I love you.

Cara's eyes opened wide but the door shut behind her with such careful precision she knew she hadn't spoken out the words out loud. Even so, she rolled onto her back and felt her hand absently begin stroking her stomach while the other gripped the sheets like she might fall off the bed otherwise. She loved him? Yes, she did, of course she did. It was all so obvious now. Her reactions to him, the fact that she never tired of his advances, the way her heart lifted when he came in the door at the end of the day and the way it sang when he pulled her into his arms… all of it was impossible to deny and she wondered how she had gone so long without seeing it.

What of him though? The General—how would he feel to know her foolish young heart had attached itself to him in such a way that he could never return? Her parents had told her to expect neither fidelity nor affection, yet to her knowledge she had received both from him thus far. Perhaps the faithfulness was hard to prove but the affection was undeniable—or was that paltry in comparison to what two people who loved each other really experienced? Her head swam with questions as she lay there until she couldn't stand being sedentary any longer and got up. She had taken no more than 3 steps from the bed when she felt it—a quickening inside her that left her gasping. It couldn't be, could it?

An exhilarated laugh bubbled up in her throat and she held the bump with both hands; grinning down like a loon and trying to will the sensation to come a second time.

"C'mon love, do that again," she tried coaxing, but after 10 minutes she relented and headed for the fresher.

After she was clean and relaxed Cara summoned breakfast and ate in relative silence save for the crackling of the fire to warm the otherwise chilly room on this freezing ship in the middle of space. She chewed thoughtfully, waiting to see if any particular food incited the baby to move again and resisting the urge to com her husband and make him leave the bridge to come see her.

No, this was the kind of thing she must keep to herself until he returned at the end of the day, but as the hours wore on and she roamed their quarters listlessly, she found it increasingly difficult to wait.

By the time she looked at the clock and saw that it was within 20 minutes of her husband's usual arrival time she pushed herself from the couch with a huff and hurried to ready herself for him. Cara had barely been in the fresher for 5 minutes before she heard a knock. She paused in pinning her hair, confused as to why someone was knocking on her door when her husband would just let himself in and they weren't due to have dinner brought for almost another hour.

Grabbing a robe that hung next to the fresher door, she slipped her arms into the sleeves, wrapping the fabric around her and tying the belt just over her slightly pronounced bump.

At the door she listened, wondering if she had imagined it when another sharp rapping against the metal startled her, and she eyed the key pad next to it which would allow her to admit them.

When she pressed the button and the doors swung open, she almost fell back in shock as Kylo Ren's intimidating black persona strode through confidently, a flick of his fingers and the button pushed again of its own accord and the doors shut.

"Hello Cara," he spoke with the gravelly mechanical voice of his mask. In spite of her terror, she found herself wondering what his face looked like beneath it before she remembered he could read minds.

She backed away from him as slowly as she dared, trying not to let him see how nervous she was; whether he was reading her thoughts or not he didn't acknowledge that particular query, instead standing with feet shoulder width apart and his hands at his sides. Every part of his body looked as if it were poised for some action—like he was forever prepared to defend himself against an unseen (or seen) enemy. His stance spoke of tension and trauma, though Cara had a feeling that he was more than used to inflicting trauma himself, especially as he towered over her and began to approach closer while she struggled to put distance between them again.

"I hear you're to be congratulated, I'm sorry I've not been by to offer my regards sooner, but I have been… busy" his voice trailed off suggestively and she bit the inside of her cheek to keep from replying that she was more than happy he had stayed away.

"My husband will be back soon," Cara offered feebly, hoping the words would act as a deterrent to Kylo Ren staying any longer.

He continued walking towards her, keeping a lazy pace that suggested he had her at his mercy and there was nothing she could do about it. A quick glance behind her reminded Cara the wall was only a couple feet away and soon there would be nowhere else to go.

"Yes," he murmured, "Your husband should be back soon—but not yet… I planned this time so we could speak freely without having him standing her acting as an encumbrance."

Cara could feel herself shaking again like that night of the dinner and she tightened the belt across her bump, hands instinctively reaching down to cover it protectively. Kylo Ren paused in his trek towards her, the distance between them small now.

"Remember I said you have nothing to fear from me? I have not come to distress you. I merely find you curious and to break the tedium of my daily life I like to sometimes dig around inside the heads of others—including your husband. You don't mind, do you?"

Her mouth agape Cara stared at him struck dumb by his words. The General had told her once after a particularly vigorous round of copulation that Kylo Ren was adept at mindreading but usually needed to be close in proximity to a non-Force user in order to use his gift. Those others who were bound by the Force were easier to communicate with over distances but it brought her no comfort as he began to come closer again.

"I see how he thinks of you Cara; how he yearns for you even when he think he's succeeded in putting you from his mind, or tried to think of something else so I won't see… I always do. It was subtle at first but now it's chronic, his every thought is of you—your face, this body, those breasts," he paused, "Your baby."

Startled Cara backed up against the wall, trying to put space between them but he only closed the distance again, resting his thick gloved hand on her shoulder dangerously close to her throat.

"P-Please," she spluttered, her throat feeling so tight with fear and her eyes pricking with tears.

The man surveyed her impassively, there was no way to judge what he was thinking but she felt him in her thoughts, sifting through everything—memories, hopes, dreams. She flinched as he opened her mind like an encyclopedia and perused it at leisure, taking his time to pause on certain pages of interest like her wedding night and the day her husband rushed to Naboo after hearing no response from her.

"Interesting," he ruminated out loud, "Very interesting."

She had no way of knowing how long it went on for. Her shaking limbs felt like limp noodles and her knees were knocking together. In a haze, she felt her body struggle to stand but something, probably the man in front of her, was holding her steady and scrutinised her every thought. Then just like that it was as though the book of her life was slammed shut and she could move again. It wasn't until she saw his hand withdraw from her face that she realised he had been pressing two fingers to her temple. A faint tickling of her brain still lingered as he pulled away.

"You love him," he stated simply, like the idea was a foreign concept to him.

Cara breathed heavily, still trying to readjust from having her soul bared like an open book to a complete stranger, stared at him unblinkingly.

"There's no need to confirm or deny it, I can see that it's true," he shrugged his shoulders and she looked away, embarrassed that someone knew. She had known this for hours now but spent the whole day telling herself the General's feeling for her only extended as far as her duties were concerned. Cara was an amusement to him, a diversion when necessary and an obligation until her end of the bargain was achieved. Whatever warmth or affection he showed to her was not out of love but duty and respect—something she reminded herself to be grateful for considering the alternative she could have wound up with.

What now though? What if he told the General and for the sake of her emotions he sent her away or made her take up residence elsewhere in the ship? The news that his wife had managed to fall in love with him could not be a welcome revelation in any sense to a man of such discipline and order.

"I will not tell him."

Her head snapped up to look at him again, hoping to discern if he was being truthful but it was impossible with that mask covering his face.

Kylo Ren could see that she didn't believe him though, watching the flames of disbelief flicker across her mind and he reassured her, "Truly. I have no quarrel with you and no wish to cause distress, especially in your delicate condition."

Cara's hand flew to her stomach again at his mention of her baby and she felt the tears finally begin to spill from her eyes. What if he was lying?

The Knight sighed, "There is no way for you to deduce my truthfulness without waiting to see it for yourself, but take what assurance you can from me in knowing this: I will not tell the General of your feelings for him. Only you can do that."

Watery red eyes stared him down suspiciously, but there was no more time to discuss before the doors slid open and her husband walked through, fury suddenly blazing across his face.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN HERE?" he demanded, approaching the man in black with such vehemence that Kylo Ren thrust out his arm to hold him back, projecting a shield with the Force that easily stopped Hux in his tracks.

"I was only having a discussion with your beautiful wife here, isn't that so, Cara?"

Hux's feral eyes shifted to her abruptly, noting how she wouldn't look back and instead stared at the floor, holding her stomach in her hands. It made his body boil even hotter with the desperate need to punch Ren.

"WHY. ARE. YOU. HERE?" he spat, still frozen where he was but obviously straining against the unseen binding that held him.

"As I said," Kylo Ren spoke calmly, "I was merely speaking to your wife. Idle chit chat and so forth. She was telling me about the baby. Well," he tittered, "Not telling me precisely, more like showing me." He let the words hang in the air with their suggestiveness as the muscles in her husband's neck and face throbbed with the exertion of trying to break free.

"Anyways, I should really get going. No need to walk to the door I'll see myself out," with that Kylo stepped around the table, passing directly by her frozen husband and almost brushing against him, yet retaining his hold until the doors opened and he passed through. The words she heard in her head were dim, like a barely discernable whisper: I told you I would keep your secret.

When the doors shut with a loud hiss Hux finally gasped as his body was freed from its hold, "THAT BASTARD!" he yelled, rounding on the door, "I'LL—" he never finished the statement though because as he went to punch the code letting him leave the room he heard a thump and looked behind him to see his wife unconscious on the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Woohoo, at least I didn't wait as long as last time, right guys? I'm going to put this on the backburner for a couple of weeks though because I really REALLY need to work on my original fic (which will be available to read on my Wattpad account: yddraig318 for those who are so inclined (and wonderful) to read it :) I'm waiting until I have the first 5-6 chapters done before I upload it there but I will definitely make an announcement on here for all my wonderful followers when I do (one of the characters is based of Domhnall Gleeson if that piques your interest more)
> 
> As always please please review and lemme know what you think. Special shoutout to PushToShove whose message yesterday was the kick in the pants I needed to finish the last small bit I had been procrastinating on with this chapter. to all of you lovely readers!


	8. The Results

When Cara woke it was to the distant sound of beeps and monitors, combined with the dull aching of her head. Her eyes felt heavy with the desire to fall back to sleep but suddenly she thought of the baby and they opened wide as she tried to jolt upright in the bed. A large belt had been strapped across her shoulders in her unconsciousness though, rendering the act of sitting up impossible.

Frightened now, Cara's hands felt for her abdomen where she stroked the reassuring bulge of her protruding belly. She breathed a sigh of relief as she tried to slow her racing heart, staring up at the ceiling and taking in the machines she had been hooked up to. Various monitors blinked numbers and codes back at her, their brightly colored fonts gleaming from black screens as an IV dripped slowly, attached to a tube that ran to her arm.

Cara stroked her stomach, hoping she would feel some further assurance that her baby was in fact safe and healthy, or at least someone would come in and explain to her what had happened. All she remembered was Kylo Ren in their chambers. In their home. In her head.

She winced as she recalled the way he'd spent what felt like hours sifting through her thoughts and memories as well as the pronounced exhaustion she'd experienced just prior to collapse.

A door opened to her right and a man appeared in a white lab coat, his bald head gleaming under the bright lights as he approached and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Cara's wide eyes watched him apprehensively, desperate for some confirmation that her baby was safe.

The doctor cleared his throat, "Lady Hux," he addressed her, "You collapsed from exhaustion earlier this evening. Your husband had us bring you here to be monitored in order to ensure the safety of you and your baby."

Her ears perked up, "Is my baby safe?"

"Ah, yes," he seemed to hesitate before continuing, "It says here that you have an extremely low platelet count and were distressed prior to fainting, is that correct?"

Dumbly, Cara nodded, unsure if she was supposed to be truthful about what had done the distressing or keep her mouth shut.

Thankfully, just as the doctor opened his mouth to speak again the door behind him swooshed open again, this time to emit a figure in all black, his unruly red hair slicked back yet still looking disheveled. Cara wasn't used to seeing him so unkempt outside of their chambers, although, she reminded herself, she rarely went with him out of their chambers at all.

The General crossed over to where she was and took her hand without a word, looking at the doctor expectantly for a report with a stern expression. Cara's eyes pricked with unshed tears. She was glad he was here with her and holding her hand, and she assumed he had not displayed any other show of emotion because the physician was present. All she wanted now was for the doctor to give his synopsis to her husband and leave so the General could hold the rest of her too.

"General Hux," the physician addressed her husband, "I was just informing Lady Hux that the combination of her low platelet count and stress was what likely led to this fainting spell. She seems to have stabilized and there appears to be no distress for the baby. I'd like to monitor her for a few more hours and then she can return to your chambers."

The steel eyes of the General narrowed perceptively and he nodded. There was no hint of affection save his hand in hers, no indication he was emotionally invested in her welfare past the concern for his future progeny. Cara had to assume that was the impression he wanted to give off though, and once they were alone he would revert back to himself or rather, the version of himself he was when alone with her.

"Is there anything else?" her husband asked the doctor brusquely and the man in the white lab coat shook his head.

"Very well," the General continued, "You're dismissed."

The physician did not wait for another overture to leave. He exited through the same door he had entered only a few moments before her husband and the door closed with another soft woosh.

When the man had gone her husband bent down to press his forehead against hers and rub the bulge of her stomach with trembling hands.

"Did he hurt you?" he growled through gritted teeth and she gave him a gentle smile to reassure him, "No, he just… got in my head." She looked at him with eager eyes, wishing he would climb into this bed to be next to her.

Her husband didn't seem surprised by her response but his eyes looked elsewhere as if he couldn't bear to face her after what had been allowed to transpire when he left her alone. This was exactly the sort of thing he'd wavered upon bringing her aboard the Finalizer over. Ren was reckless and unpredictable. His obsession with Cara had been growing increasingly obvious, especially since her arrival on board. Hux's thoughts gravitated towards the only reasonable solution—to send her away back to Naboo—but his heart panged at the thought so deeply that he shook his head as if to will the thoughts away. When he looked at Cara again his expression was grim, but his hands softly caressed her bump and she tried to lean up to kiss him, being prevented once again by the strap across her shoulders.

"I need to...uh… see to some things," he offered solemnly as he reached across her to unfasten the strap that was a common precaution in unconscious patients. The look she gave in response left him grieved that he couldn't take the day off but preparations on the Starkiller were at their all-time busiest and he needed to be available for at least the next couple hours. "I'm sorry," he said, bestowing one of his soft kisses on her forehead and looking to her for confirmation that she understood; he was a general, and this was his job.

Cara knew all this and chastened herself for the yearning in her heart to have him join her on the hospital bed and hold her until she could forget what had happened. So much had changed between them since her arrival on the Finalizer and discovery of her condition. So much had progressed in the way of affection and regard for one another that she thought she was beginning to understand him better, in spite of his quiet and reserved nature. Nevertheless, she longed to have him take her back to their chambers where he could ravish her until they could both forget Kylo Ren's frightening visit, yet she knew if that were a possibility he would have done it without her asking, therefore she refrained from doing so. This was the life she'd been born and now married into—regardless of her feelings on the subject Cara must submit to his command like everyone else on board this ship. Everyone except for Kylo Ren.

She bit her lip and squeezed his hand before she smiled, "I understand."

Although he still looked stricken at the thought of leaving her here alone after what had recently transpired she watched her husband's face as it visibly relaxed from her assurance. A quirk at the corner of his mouth was the best imitation of a smile she could get from him right now.

He leaned over and kissed her, hand still resting on her stomach and she wrapped her arms around his neck, giving herself over to the familiar feelings that stirred within her every time he kissed her, the same feelings which had led to the series of events culminating in the pronounced mound that now resided over her hips. No sooner had she began to fantasize about him peeling up the hem of her sterile white hospital gown and taking her here in this room than he broke the kiss, pulling away and wiping his lips with the back of his hand before withdrawing them to fold both arms behind his back.

"Later," he admonished, but she saw the strain in his pants and knew his rejection was not from lack of desire.

Hux saw the smile she gave him from beneath hooded eyes that burned with desire. He felt once more something that he had been recognizing more and more recently—when he had agreed to marry this young girl he'd had no idea what a wild thing she could be. Or perhaps what a wild thing he had made her become.

He reached down to bring one of her hands up to his lips and kissed the back lest he be tempted to renege on his self-control. Before she could react he had dropped the hand again and turned to leave, "I will come to you as soon as I'm able," he said, echoing the promises he'd always left her with earlier in their marriage.

The General turned and gave one last, lingering look behind him, their eyes locking in an unspoken bond before he pressed the code to open the door and left.

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Hux grew increasingly frustrated as the afternoon wore on and time and again some pressing thing or another presented itself—thereby preventing him from returning to his chambers and his distressed pregnant wife.

Lunchtime had come and gone and with it a medic arrived in the midst of his noon meeting with important First Order officials to let him know that Cara had been returned to their rooms and was resting. His fists clenched under the table he was sitting at and he felt the eyes of Ren from across the room land on him, his temper rising at the tendrils of sensation running over the lobes of his brain as his nemesis tried to discern Cara's state.

They had yet to speak which was perhaps for the better as the only things Hux wanted to say were with his fists and fighting a Sith-in-training without possession of the Force would be utter folly on his part. Still, he felt Ren's probes into his head and did his utmost to repel them, refusing to give the man the satisfaction of knowing how Cara was faring.

The meeting dragged on as paunchy, self-important men enjoyed the finest food the Finalizer kitchens could prepare and argued over the progress of their plans for Starkiller and the first planets to be targeted for the initial demonstration. Hux listened as intently as possible in hopes of keeping his mind preoccupied off of Cara until he could remove himself from Ren's presence and be alone with his thoughts.

When at last his afternoon of meetings was drawing to a close Ren approached him, his tone dry and his expression hidden behind that damned mask.

"Supreme Leader Snoke requests a meeting with us immediately."

Irked now that not only was he forced to hold even the briefest of conversations with this lunatic, but also that he must attend a meeting with him which he was the last to know about, Hux nonetheless strode out of the room without a backward glance spared for Ren. The sound of his heavy footsteps echoed by Ren's own down the long, empty hallways told him that he was not far behind though.

Deliberately thinking about codes and plans for the Starkiller base so that homicidal maniac's plans to get in his head would be in vain, Hux channeled his most aloof and impassive self before he strode through the doors into the vast, cavernous throne room of which Snoke sat atop a large dais in the center.

"General," his voice growled in that menacing, gravelly pitch that he had come to expect.

Once Hux had reached the foot of the throne he wasted no time addressing the man who had summoned him, ignoring Ren as he came to stand beside him. Immediately he felt a stronger force in his mind than Ren's, parting, sifting, combing through as it sought something and Hux stood, helpless and stoic, until Snoke was satisfied.

He gasped when at last the heavy, voluminous presence vacated his head and he became conscious of the sweat forming on his face and neck, the uncomfortable sensation of a bead of it rolling down his lower back beneath his heavy uniform. He felt suddenly very cold.

"You've been distracted General," he seethed, and Hux looked up to meet his cold, transparent eyes as his heart began thumping wildly.

"You're wife, General, has proved to be more of a distraction than you anticipated."

"Supreme Leader—"

SILENCE!" he barked and the room reverberated with the echoes of his word.

Ren had remained silently next to him, waiting impassively for the Supreme Leader to reprimand Hux but he was blindsided by Snoke's next words. "Have you been having fun Kylo Ren?"

His helmet popped up from looking at the floor submissively, "Supreme Leader?"

"I see that much of this distracting has been coming from you. Perhaps I have been too lenient, too indulgent with you and your predilections." Snoke let the words hang in the air and Hux squared his shoulders, listening in muted self-satisfaction as it seemed Ren would have to finally take responsibility for his actions.

"The first test for Starkiller is to be next week," Snoke continued, glaring down at his apprentice, "And you persist in tormenting this girl in order to weaken your opponent who is in fact your collaborator in this venture… I am very… disappointed."

"Forgive me, Supreme Leader, for allowing my dalliances to interfere with this mission. It will not happen again."

"See that it does not Kylo Ren, for although I will be sorely displeased it will be nothing compared to your displeasure when I have to deal with you over it."

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In spite of the overall positive outcome for him arising from the meeting with Snoke, Hux still left the throne room feeling on edge. At the end of their meeting Ren had been ordered to Jakku on a tip that someone in a small village contained that which he had long been searching for, a map pertaining to the whereabouts of his uncle, Luke Skywalker. He was to leave within the hour and Hux felt he could finally breathe without fear of having his thoughts invaded in a momentary lack of vigilance.

Snoke's intrusion into his head had been uncomfortable, and he wondered if it had felt the same for Cara when Ren forced his way into hers. If so it was no wonder she had fainted immediately after.

At the end of their meeting Snoke had asked Hux what he intended to do in regards to his distraction and Hux had replied that he did not know. Her health was still too precarious, especially now, to risk the return to Naboo just yet but he was optimistic that in time she would be able to leave and he could work without the slightest encumbrance once again. Snoke had seemed annoyed yet mildly satisfied by the answer and so Hux took it at face value when the Supreme Leader dismissed him with a few parting words, "Just remember that your wife does not need to be the only woman with whom you produce a dynasty General. Your own father knew that well."

It panged his heart to be reminded of his own bastard status, but like the soldier that he was he showed no reaction, instead turning on his heel to leave, internally bottling any feelings about the nerve Snoke had struck deep within just as he had for 30+ years. In spite of the less than desirable circumstances of his birth, he had managed to rise thanks to the benevolence of his father, although Hux surmised this was merely to procure his own dynasty in the form of taking on the only child he had, regardless of his bastard status.

The First Order cared not for such frivolities as illegitimacy. Truthfully they cared very little for rank or nobility either unless these were accompanied by money with which to fund their ventures. Because of his father's interest in his only child Hux had been placed at the Academy where he was able to rise, eventually reaching such a point that he commanded an entire First Order warship and answered directly to the Supreme Leader himself. His elevated status had left him able to marry a woman of beauty and good breeding, to further his father's dynasty with his own progeny who would never know the shame their own father had endured owing to his birth status.

He was just about to head back to his chambers to finally check on her when he passed a lone man in the hall on his way back, stopping cold when he heard the man call out, "General Hux!"

He turned with a stony expression aimed at the man who would dare disrupt him from his long-awaited return to the arms of his wife.

"Sir," it was the young medic who delivered the message around lunch, and he approached nervously, his hands obviously shaking.

"Yes?" Hux cocked an eyebrow at him, unnerving the man with his imposing demeanor.

"Well, General, I—can we speak privately?"

Now Hux was suspicious. He had enough on his mind trying to find a solution to the problem with Cara and he did not want to waste time dealing with his subordinates, but something about the pleading look in the young man's eyes told Hux his words might somehow contain the answer.

There was a room down the hall to the right that was normally reserved for meetings and left empty most of the time. This became the site of their clandestine conversation, and within minutes of listening Hux became glad he hadn't dismissed the medic outright.

"Excuse me for saying this General, I don't want to get into any trouble."

"Spit it out, whatever it is," Hux huffed at him.

"Sir, uh, General, I reviewed the tests we ran on your wife months ago when I first confirmed her pregnancy and compared them with the tests we ran on her today after she fainted."

"Yes," he rolled his eyes impatiently, "My wife has a concerningly low platelet count which necessitated her remaining on this ship to monitor her condition. I already know this." He was irritated now, thinking of Cara lying alone in bed waiting for him to come back or worse… Kylo Ren having taken the opportunity to pay her another visit.

"But sir, the reason I came to you is I can't find any evidence that this was ever the case."

If ever there was a man with such danger in his eyes as the General had in that moment, the medic had never seen one. His superior officer's pupils dilated and suddenly the young man found himself shoved up against a wall with the General's forearm pressing into his throat.

"What did you say?" he seethed, and the medic fumbled for words in spite of the pressure on his windpipe.

"N-no evid-d-dence sh-she was ev-ver in d-danger s-s-sir."

Realising he was about to kill perhaps the only man on this ship being honest with him right now Hux dropped his arm, bracing both hands against the wall to collect himself while the medic bent over and gulped in deep breaths.

"Why would I have been told my wife was ill when she wasn't?"

The medic looked back at him in terror, "I-I couldn't say sir… is there anyone who would stand to gain by her remaining on this ship?"

Hux felt like he'd been doused with ice cold water as the understanding dawned on him, his very veins seemed to flow with the freezing sensation.

"So my wife is safe to leave this ship and travel back to Naboo?"

"As far I can tell, yes."

"But what of her fainting spell? Should that be a concern?"

"As much as I can tell she fainted as a result of acute stress. It's not my business what was causing it but it might be better for her and the fetus to stay on Naboo assuming her stress would be lessened there."

Even now the medic was looking at Hux like an animal that's been cornered but yet he still spoke the truth—at great danger to himself if the person instructing the physicians to lie to their commanding officer discovered him. "Have you told anyone else of this?" Hux asked the young man solemnly.

"No one General, you were the only one with a right to know."

Hux nodded at him, "You've done well. As a reward you will be promoted to chief medic for my wife on Naboo. She will be leaving this afternoon on one of the shuttles. Go and pack your things. Tell no one where you are going and report to the landing bay at 3pm. Bring any instruments you might need and do not be late."

"Yes, sir. Thank you General."

Just as Hux turned to leave something occurred to him and he added, "Above all else do not let Kylo Ren discover your instructions. It will be to your peril, and not from my hands."

The medic gulped and nodded his understanding as the General left, making haste to return to his chambers.

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Cara was sitting up in bed when she heard the doors to the lounge area woosh open and close again. Excited but still too tired to try and rise she waited until the plodding footsteps approached the open bedroom door and she smiled as the pale, red-haired face of her husband came into view.

His whole demeanor seemed strained, like he was lost in some world of thought far away from her and she held out her hands for him to join her on the bed. She wanted to feel him against her, beneath her, inside of her. That was always how she found him when he went to those dark places in his thoughts.

Her husband obliged and seemed to understand what she wanted without question. No sooner had the mattress sank with his weight than his lips found hers and opened her mouth with his tongue, weaving his fingers into her hand where he gripped so tightly it was almost painful. She moaned into the kiss anyways.

Lovemaking was slower now, more gentle as her husband strove to please her while not causing any harm to the baby. He'd recently began taking her on her back at the edge of the bed where he could stand and thrust into her while relishing her cries and the bouncing of her enlarged breasts. It was easier this way for his thumb to caress her clit until he brought her to a screaming climax and could feel her creaming around his cock. Only then would he take his own pleasure, thrusting into her with deliberately tender strokes.

Afterwards, when she lay in his arms with her eyes closed in pleasurable comfort at the feeling of his body draped around hers from behind, she was just beginning to doze off to sleep in the afterglow of another intense orgasm when he finally spoke.

"It's time I sent you back to Naboo Cara."

Immediately her eyes opened wide and she tensed against him, hoping she had actually fallen asleep and dreamed it.

When she turned around in his arms to meet his eyes though, she could see he had said the words and meant them.

Her mouth agape, she fumbled for words that wouldn't come and he took advantage of her stunned silence.

"I know you will be dissatisfied by my decision, but I've been foolish. I became complacent with you here on board the same ship as Kylo Ren. He hates me Cara, and anything that I care about he would take from me if he could. His threatening of you and the baby has proven that beyond a shadow of a doubt. You're not safe here with me."

"But—" she finally managed to say.

"No buts," he finished for her, "I am your husband and your protector. It's time I started acting like it again."

As much as it pained him to pull his arms from her Hux turned and rolled away, sitting up on the edge of the bed and facing the wall. "You need to start packing soon. I told the medic to be ready at the launch bay by 3pm."

"But what about the baby?" Cara asked softly, holding the edge of the sheet over her breasts as if he hadn't seen and held and tasted them a thousand times. "What about my platelet count?"

Hux turned to her with a serious look, "There never was a low platelet count Cara, it was all a ruse on Kylo Ren's part to keep you aboard this ship. He's been playing with us from the start." She could see in her husband's eyes the conviction behind his words and felt an involuntary shudder run through her. Whatever purpose Kylo Ren had for keeping her here though, she still did not want to be separated from the father of her baby.

And the man you love, her mind quipped in cruelly.

The General abruptly stood up from the bed and headed for the fresher, not bothering to give his wife an explanation. Cara lay there forlornly, trying to think of a way to convince him that it was safe for her to remain here with him. The sound of the shower reached her ears and Cara struggled to sit up in the bed, her girth making it increasingly hard for her to move around even though she was now only halfway through her pregnancy.

By the time she had clambered to her feet and found her robe the shower shut off and she waited for her husband to return to the bedroom. There had to be a way to convince him.

"What if I stay here and we move to different chambers?"

"This is not up for discussion Cara," he muttered, crossing the foot of the bed to his wardrobe where he began pulling out the pieces of his uniform.

"I don't understand, why now? It doesn't make sense."

"It makes perfect sense Cara," he answered gruffly, using a voice she had not heard from him in a long time. There had been tones ranging from cold and aloof to almost mildly playful at times, but in the 4.5 months she had been on board this ship he had never once raised his voice or spoken in anger at her. Now she felt her lip trembling as she tried to hold back the tears. "I don't want to go," she whimpered, but her husband continued to dress—indifferent to her plight.

When she accepted that he was not going to continue offering her a rebuttal, she knew the only way she would win this was to keep arguing, "What if something happens on Naboo?"

"Nothing will happen on Naboo," he snapped. A glance in the mirror told him that his uniform was once more pristine and he opened the bedroom door to the living quarters, "Nothing ever happens on Naboo. That's why it's the safest place for you right now. Maybe in time I'll be able to secure you a place closer but for right now while you're carrying my chi-"

"Our child," she finished for him, her watery eyes searching his face for any hint of misgivings about this decision of his, but he had already passed through the doorway.

Hux leaned against the fireplace with his forearm, his eyes shut tight as he took a deep breath, trying to remain calm in spite of being questioned about his orders, something very few people had been permitted to do for many years.

She followed him defiantly out into the living area, clutching the robe around her, "Do you want me to leave?" she asked, her voice tainted with hurt and momentary insecurity. When he didn't answer immediately, she shrank away, her heart more panicked now than when Kylo Ren had stood a few feet away from her in this same room last night and asked to look into her head.

Finally, he spoke and if not for her internal conflict Cara would have detected the unbearable sadness in his voice, "It doesn't matter what I want," he answered softly.

Cara did hear something though in the way he spoke, something that told her this was a fight she could still win. There had to be some perfect combination of words she could say, anything that would enunciate for him the depth of her desire to stay on board this ship, to not be parted from her husband and the father of her baby. Unfortunately, in her inner musings the words slipped from her before she could stop herself.

"I…love you…" she whispered, and even though her tone was low she heard the sharp intake of breath from him as he stiffened and she knew he'd heard. Her heart braced itself for his response, her whole body cringing at the rashness of her confession.

"Cara, I—" he began, but she was staring at the floor and not meeting his eyes. Deep down, she'd know it was folly to tell him, but faced with the idea of being parted once again for an indefinite amount of time, this was her last ditch effort to draw some additional comfort from him; her last shot to make him tell her to stay. Still… her heart hoped, he might yet relent…

He faced her and walked forward until they were inches apart. Then he brought one hand up to stroke her cheek before leaning down to bestow a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I'm sorry I can't be the husband you wanted me to be," he murmured quietly.

Cara's face crumpled at the words and with it Hux could feel his heart shattering into a million pieces. He did not have the capability to love, that had been squandered long ago through the First Order's assiduous attentions to stamping out any and all emotion. He was cold and unfeeling—both in reputation and practice. This arrangement with Cara had diverted him time and again from his duties and now he could not allow her emotions to distract him any longer. Whatever he felt for her, be it noble responsibility or lust tinged with affection, it was not love. It never could be.

Her tears spilled out hot and fast, streaming down Cara's cheeks as she buried her face in her hands and wept. The arms of her husband pulled her against him as best they could with the bump between them and she sobbed into the shoulder of his uniform, hating and loving the way he stroked her back in equal measure. She both wanted to run from this room and leave on the shuttle without a single goodbye and to have him take her into his arms one final time and ravish her against every surface of this room until she could forget even for a moment the awful truth that she had fallen prey to her own womanly feelings and given her heart to a man who did not, or could not, ever truly possess it.

Hux felt a strain behind his eyes as well but many years of stoic practice had taught him how to stave off any possible show of emotion. He watched her with controlled indifference much as he had the first times he'd seen her. Even now he could remember the first time she'd walked into her father's parlor room while he and his own father stood by the window conversing with Aemos Barnaba. Inwardly, his heart had sped up and she'd taken his breath away, while outwardly he'd remained the same aloof figure he was known for being to everyone save this small, trembling woman now in front of him.

"The shuttle will be ready to launch in one hour for Naboo. You need to get packed. I will send you anything the baby needs once you're home safe and I will come visit when I can. You still have a few more months to go."

Of course, she thought, now that the job is done of impregnating me there's no reason to visit so frequently.

Especially now that he knows I love him, the unwelcome thought tacked itself onto the end of the internal statement and she felt a fresh wave of tears come but she wiped them away angrily.

"Do you need help packing?" the General was asking her, his expression hard and unreadable again but his eyes somehow still yielding and kind. It was impossible to know which one was giving her the directives.

"No," she snapped, turning to the bedroom, "I can do it myself."

Hux wanted to argue, to tell her that she had no choice in the matter but instead his hands hung useless at his side as he watched her go, leaving him standing alone in front of the fireplace. The bedroom door shut deliberately softly behind her but he could still hear weeping as he stood waiting for her to be ready to leave.

When at last she finally emerged the cloak she'd worn the first day she arrived on the Finalizer was fastened around her shoulders and her eyes were red and swollen from crying. The look on her face was a haggard, almost dead expression but she stood in the doorway caressing the bump poking out beneath her cloak. "I can't lift my luggage," her trembling, scratchy voice sounded as though it might break back into sobs at any moment.

"I'll get it," he quipped, hurrying to do something practical to distract himself from the agonizing lump in his throat and the miserable feeling he needed to unleash. Cara crossed the room, careful not to make any physical contact with him and sat at the end of the dining table where she'd seated herself the first night aboard the ship.

Wait until she is gone, then you can be alone again, he thought, but the idea of her leaving only left him feeling more bereft.

In the bedroom he looked at the perfectly made bed with a large trunk atop it. The metal fastens were not yet clasped and he glanced around quickly, looking to see if there was anything she might have forgotten. He spied a hastily discarded slip from one of their recent rendezvous' and bent to grab it, opening the trunk to place it inside when he stopped.

A pillow comprised the topmost layer and he furrowed his eyes in confusion. He looked over to see the two pillows on her side of the bed still propped against the wall, but one of his was missing. Weren't there plenty of pillows in the villa already? When he lifted the lid to tuck the slip in underneath, he found an almost empty bottle of the cologne he sometimes wore when they were alone. Slowly beginning to understand her reasoning, Hux pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to stave off his own breakdown for once she was on her way to Naboo and he was by himself again. The slip he gathered in one hand and shoved underneath his remaining pillow, the satin fabric cool to his touch; he shut the trunk with a brutal finality.

Outside the room Cara waited at the table. Her eyes had a sunken appearance and he suddenly cursed himself for ever bringing her here. As he dragged the trunk across the floor towards the sliding doors he stole glances at her withered appearance, a shell of the girl he had first taken to Naboo. Those first few visits had been brief, but enjoyable. Even the time where he arrived angry he couldn't stay that way with her. Now she sat here—a woman distraught and carrying a child, his child inside of her, yet the best he could do was offer to help her pack and send her back to the relative safety of the villa on Naboo.

A buzz on the intercom told him the platoon of Stormtroopers had arrived to escort her to the shuttle. The wince on her face at the sound did not go unnoticed. Even so, Hux answered it anyway.

"Cara," he croaked, hoping she wouldn't hear the crack in his voice, but she was lost in her own world, staring at the table and drawing circles on the steel surface with her finger, the other hand resting on her belly.

Instead of doing what his body screamed at him to do—tell the troops to leave then take her into his arms and into his bed where he could erase all thought of what had transpired between them, he remembered the words of the physician and Kylo Ren's fixation on his wife. No, this was how it must be, for Cara's own good… and the baby's.

Hux punched in the code that allowed the Stormtroopers in, followed by Mitaka who stood rigid outside the door, his nervous eyes darting from Lady Hux at the table and the General—both looking relatively miserable, though he would never dare comment on it.

When the trunk was lifted and carried out by two troopers the General's stiff frame moved towards his wife and offered his hand. The exchange was small, unnoticed by anyone but themselves and Mitaka—the rest of the troopers were lined up out in the hall and thankfully not privy to this moment.

Cara looked up into his husband's stoic face and saw the somehow pleading eyes staring down at her, his hand extended.

"Please," he whispered.

In spite of her broken heart, in spite of her agony at being parted from him with nothing but a pillow to remind her of his smell and a baby growing inside of her, Cara took it and he pulled her up from the chair. Dizzy from the act Cara stumbled and the General immediately caught her, his arms under her shoulders to hold her upright. Without much decorum Cara steadied herself and shrugged off his help, even though the spots where he touched her still burned with the contact.

They walked down the hall side by side without touching. Hux knew better than to offer his arm to her as he had upon her arrival so many months ago. That day had been met with a sense of expectation, now this one was only of dread.

The normally long walk to the landing bay seemed to take minutes instead of the half hour it actually was. Each time they turned down a new hallway he watched her from the corner of his eye for some sign she was tiring, some indication she needed his help, but either out of defiance or lack of necessity, he never found a reason to put hands on her again.

As they marched as a unit into the landing bay and the black shuttle came into view he noticed the quivering of her lip and longed to reach out with his hand and stroke the trembling appendage with his thumb, trace it with his lips and tongue. His usual arousal at the thought of her could be felt stirring and he immediately changed his thoughts, it would be no good here, nor anywhere for a long time now.

The ramp going up into the shuttle was flanked by two lines of additional Stormtroopers and Cara's trunk was being carried inside as they reached the base of the incline.

He looked down at Cara and she stared at the floor. He didn't dare reach out to cup her chin and lift her face to meet his, or bend down to kiss her on the forehead as he wanted. None of those were things he could do in front of his troops, and so instead he folded his hands behind his back to absolve himself of the temptation and bent low to whisper in her ear, "I will come to you as soon as I can. Safe travels to Naboo and take good care of the baby."

In spite of her efforts not to cry Cara felt the tears forming again and looked up to see her husband's look of concern. Instead of standing there whimpering she turned and began to ascend the ramp, looking over her shoulder once when she'd reached the top. Her water-filled eyes caught one last look at her husband's face as the ramp closed tightly, barring him from her sight.

Left on the platform, Hux watched as the shuttle rose and left, a painful ache in his chest as his eyes brimmed with tears he could not shed and his lips pressed against words he could not speak.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I didn't end up taking an extra month to mourn the loss of my work, just an extra week. I gotta tell you though that the comments and feedback I get are truly what motivates me to keep going with this. I received a lot of encouragement from everyone this week (and I've started using GoogleDrive so thanks to everyone who suggested it!) I know some people are probably disappointed there's not more smut (I've certainly led you to expect a ton of it lol) but I'll go ahead and tell you there will be reduced smut in the next chapters. I'm hoping I can still wrap it up with chapter 10 but if not it won't go on much longer than that, but most likely it will go to 10. Obviously there's a plot mixed in with the smut and I feel the need to wrap that up as well as I can but take heart, that doesn't mean there won't still be some, but it has to make sense too ^_^ hopefully you guys still enjoyed the update. Lemme know your thoughts and I hope everyone has a great weekend!


	9. The Strike

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is less than half of what I usually write but I wanted to give you guys something since it's been nearly a month since the last and I know I've been bad for updating in a timely fashion. I get the most wonderful feedback from you guys though and I wanted to let you know for the millionth time what a huge encouragement you are to me. I'm still trying to be diligent about writing my own work and hopefully I will be updating that on Wattpad again soon. Thanks in advance for the feedback and hope you enjoyed reading!

Her first few weeks back on Naboo passed so painfully slow for Cara, almost as if to taunt her with the seeming brevity of her tenure aboard the Finalizer.

Mira and the other servants had been anxiously waiting to welcome her home her upon her return, but she'd given them a perfunctory greeting and climbed the marble staircase slowly, her increased girth making it necessary to hold tightly onto the railing. Upstairs in the bedroom she had vacated almost 6 months earlier. Cara chastened herself for not being more amiable to the servants but for now all she wanted was the rest and be left alone.

The General had sent the same medic who'd confirmed her pregnancy as well as 8 stormtroopers to take turns standing sentinel outside the villa. When Cara was asked where they were to be housed she could only wave her hand dismissively at Mira, telling her to house them 'wherever'. On her way out Mira shut the door softly behind her, both brows furrowed in concern for her mistress and her uncharacteristic behaviour, though she would not derive the truth from Cara about her reluctance to leave the ship for many weeks.

Thus began her long confinement, hundreds of thousands of miles away from her husband and the comfort of his arms and their bed.

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General Hux was in a foul mood. His temperament, once mollified by his wife's presence and comfort, had reared itself back into full force with a vengeance. While he had to give the outward appearance of control and could not allow himself to fly into violent rages like Ren, he was left to display his awful mood through barking orders, belittling colleagues and administering harsh punishments for the slightest infraction.

He could feel Ren's chuckle in his mind sometimes even when the man was nowhere to be seen. They still had yet to come to blows over his meddling in order to keep Cara on board which was probably for the best. A prisoner had been procured on Jakku after sending the map to Luke Skywalker off with a droid- they were in the process of searching for it now. This situation was only worsened by the fact that the prisoner had escaped, and he appeared to have been helped by one of Hux's own; a rogue stormtrooper FN-2187. When the two rebels crash landed aboard Jakku Hux ordered an airstrike but the attempt at retrieving the droid had been unsuccessful. With the possibility of another conflict between the First Order and the Resistance feeling inevitable, Hux threw himself into his work preparing for the Starkiller base attack on the Hosnian system.

Whenever he was alone though, when he returned to his chambers at the end of a long day and sat down to a meal at the table with no one to sit across from Hux found himself longing for Cara. He would wake in the middle of the night from dreams of her to search and find her side of the bed empty. He began holding her pillow instead, taking comfort in the way it smelled of her- as he imagined she was doing with his on Naboo. 

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Cara now spent her days in her room or, when she could be prevailed upon to leave it, wandering listlessly through the villa, inspecting every room with casual indifference as her ever-increasing belly required more and more energy for her to move around. She was only 2 weeks from delivering now, and it had been almost 5 months since she'd been ousted from the Finalizer by her husband, all under the guise of keeping her and the baby 'safe'.

Although she understood his reasoning, her hormones and her heart still ached to be near him. It was with great pain that she remembered his rejection of her hasty declaration of love, yet at night she still held his pillow to her tightly, wishing against all hope that soon he would come back here to take the place of it again.

She had been foolish- beyond foolish really. In falling in love with her husband and believing even in the slightest that there was hope for him to reciprocate her feelings she had sealed the fate of her heart to be crushed when he dragged her back to reality. Now here again, alone and miserable, she was left waiting for any communication from him though it rarely came.

After her first month back, a ship arrived one day with no previous warning. Her heart had leaped into her throat at the thought her husband had returned to surprise her, only to feel her insides deflate when she recognised it as a Naboo trade ship. After landing, a troupe of men had marched up to the house, informing her that the general ordered a delivery for all the things she might need in a nursery.

Boxes were carried in for hours after that, each of them delicately carried up the stairs and left in the hallway outside Cara and the General's room. In her self pity Cara had yet to decide which of the bedrooms she would repurpose into a nursery. The very thought of decorating a room for her baby reminded her that she would be doing this all but entirely alone.

After the men finally finished their delivery, she'd stood on her bedroom balcony and watched as the ship left back for Naboo's capital, waiting until it was a speck in the distance before she turned back to lie on her side of the bed, hugging her husband's pillow to her as she cried.

Mira had walked in a couple hours later, "Milady?" she asked, and Cara stirred from where she'd fallen asleep, finally exhausted from her profusion of tears.

"What is it?" she croaked, wanting to go back to sleep and not wake until the General sent a ship with himself on it.

"Milady, the men left something else earlier but when I came to give it to you I found you resting. It's almost dinnertime so I thought I would wake you and-"

"Just put it on top of the other things," Cara stared straight ahead, her eyes once again filling with water and she waved her arm behind her as she spoke as if to indicate which of the dozen boxes in the hallway Mira should place it atop.

"I would milady, but the men were specific that this wasn't something for the baby, it was something for you."

Cara paused in her dispiritedness to look over her shoulder. Mara stood just to the side of the bed, a familiar small package in her hands...

If she hadn't been waiting so long for some sort of acknowledgement from him, Cara might have been more dignified in her response. As it happened she almost flung herself across the bed in an effort to snatch the package from Mira's hands as though afraid it was a trick and would disappear in moments.

This one was thicker than the last and with trembling hands she pulled open the ribbon, taking a deep breath to brace herself before prying the box apart.

Inside was a bracelet, set in gold with the same breathtaking firestone gems placed in an elaborate pattern to adorn her wrist. Cara's breath caught when she saw it and Mira's eyes widened- even though she was a servant the rarity and expense of firestone was well known by all.

"That's wonderful milady, and after he already sent so much."

Cara wasn't paying attention though, she had picked up the bracelet to try it on and in doing so a small card had fall out, landing on the floor where Mira dipped to retrieve it.

Hastily, Cara opened the paper, her eyes scanning the message.

I hope I've sent everything you might need for the baby. I know he or she will be here in a few months and I want to do what I can to help you prepare. Work is very busy and I hope to be able to come for the birth or shortly afterwards. I meant to reach out before but I have been kept abreast of your health from the medic's reports. I hope you and the baby are happy and resting.

Also, you'll notice I sent you the matching bracelet to the set I bought you some months ago. Happy 1st anniversary.

Cara stared at the note, reading and rereading it as if looking for some secret anagram in the words. She checked the back and held the box upside down in case there was anything else, then sat back on her heels in a huff.

"You're displeased milady?"

It felt silly, ungrateful even that this huge gesture was not enough for her. He'd even remembered their anniversary- something Cara had completely neglected to do. An massive trousseau of things for the baby had arrived, including an entire wardrobe for either gender. There was a beautiful bracelet on her wrist that probably cost as much as this villa. Yet none of this was any substitute for the longing she felt in her heart to have her husband on Naboo with her.

Another month had passed and Cara had yet to hear anything further from him. She knew he was even busier than usual with the project they had spent months working on even before her tenure aboard the Finalizer. Her 'thank you' missive to him following the elaborate presents had been brief.

Thank you for all the gifts. I feel guilty I haven't gotten anything for you though.

Of course she was a woman sheltered in a remote villa on the side of a mountain far away from cities or other civilization. It was hardly expected that she would have access to ordering such things, but still, in her mind now the sentiment remained that she should have found a way, or at least remembered since the day was indelibly more important to her than him. She cringed every time she recalled the look of almost pity on his face the moment she'd slipped and told him…

His reply to her missive was even briefer than hers had been:

I don't need a gift, our healthy child is all I want.

She knew of course, right from the beginning of their marriage that children were her purpose and her duty. Her husband's assiduous attentions to making that a reality had finally resulted in this baby, and in that she must take her satisfaction, since she understood now she would find none elsewhere in her marriage, nor her bed for likely many months more.

On one of the few days she had the energy to do so Cara ordered the clearing of the nearest bedroom to her and the General's, sending all the previous furniture down the hall to one of the many unused ones and charging the servants with the task of preparing a nursery. Sometimes she would walk through during her aimless wandering about the villa and admire the craftsmanship of the items her husband had sent. Clearly no expense had been spared and everything from the crib to the rocking chair was made from the sturdiest, rarest timber in the galaxy. Since she had opted to wait and not find out about the gender everything was painted in white and pale shades of yellow and green. She wondered what kind of nursery she would have had on board the Finalizer and pictured a room of black and metal like the rest of the ship. No, in this at least her husband had been right- the Finalizer was no place to raise a baby.

She'd made a few attempts to get him to come, especially the nearer her due date loomed. Even now, two weeks away she had pushed him to come, she had gone so far as to get him to commit to a date, this week in fact- but at the last minute he'd been forced to cancel. Last night she'd waited anxiously downstairs only to finally check her missives and see an apology from him that he would be delayed further. Dejected and even more morose at the disappointment of thinking he was coming when he didn't, the next morning she woke to the knock from Mira that signaled breakfast and her early morning tests with the medic. After a few minutes of groaning as she stirred and got her bearings, her hand went automatically to her stomach like it did every morning, soothing the now active and rambunctious baby swimming circles inside of her.

It took every bit of energy she had to get on her feet and she wondered to herself not for the first time how she was ever going to get through 2 more weeks of this.

Gingerly, she propped one hand behind her back for support as she waddled to the bathroom in desperate need of the toilet.

When Cara finally made her way downstairs she took each step with deliberate care, wishing for the hundredth time that the builder of this villa had possessed the foresight to put a master bedroom on the first floor.

Breakfast had been kept warm for her and she ate it ravenously as the medic whose name was some confusing combination of numbers she always mixed up took her morning vitals. While her husband was gone, Cara sat in his seat at the head of the table, and looked down the 20ft stretch of it towards the curtains from which servants appeared to bring and retrieve plates of food from the kitchen. Behind her the 12 foot windows were opened to the bright, fresh sunlight outside, a slight breeze wafting in carrying the smell of the mountains. The warmth of the sun's beams shimmered off her hair and Mira remarked how 'glowing' her mistress looked when she brought in breakfast even though that term was the furthest from Cara's mind to describe her own appearance. 'The size of the Finalizer' seemed a more apt comparison. Once she'd tried to take a bath after her 8th month mark and had to call for Mira's help when she realized she could no longer lift herself out of the tub. She barely had time to look in the mirror these days thankfully as most of her time was spent resting. Why hadn't her mother or her sisters educated her on what a exhausting business actually growing a baby was?

Already she began to tire again when the medic removed his blood pressure cuff from her arm. Mira had just come in from the kitchen to ask her mistress if there was anything else she wanted when the sound started.

It was a piercing noise, like a high-pitched whistle that sounded familiar yet foreign at the same time, as though it were something Cara had heard before but never from such a close range. The medic dropped his stethoscope on the floor and Mira covered her ears as it keened shrilly-the sound continuing to climb higher. Cara had just turned to look out the window behind her when suddenly the world was completely upturned. In the blink of an eye she heard the first sudden blast hit the east facing wall of the villa, followed by a rapid succession of continuous hits. The sound of concrete being broken apart as easily as a sand structure at the beach was deafening and Cara barely had the foresight to listen as the medic was pushing her under the table, gesturing for Mira to do the same.

She didn't have time to note if the medic made it under as well before the next series of explosions tore through the dining room and sent the ceiling collapsing over top of them. Cara gave one panicked look at Mira before the sound of a final, brutal explosion shook the very foundation beneath them, running a large, deep crack through the marble floor as it spread towards their place beneath the table. Below her the ground shifted as her ears rang with the sound of heavy debris crashing atop her, already beginning to split the wood of the table with a wretched cracking noise. After one final shriek of that weapon being guided towards her house and meeting with the marble floor of her dining room Cara felt her body thrown sideways into Mira as both fell into a deep unconsciousness.

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The failed attempt to capture the droid had been frustrating, but the failure of the reconnaissance attempt to recapture it had been infuriating. Hux was so busy these days he hardly had time to think about Cara, which he thought was for the best. His anniversary gift seemed to have been well received based on her reply and the report from his stormtroopers standing guard outside the villa. They had been mostly an afterthought on his part, a safety precaution to help keep an eye on the place and her. While the General was not a popular man per se, there were few who would want to harm him directly and if they did Hux reasoned they would come after him, not his wife kept in a vacation home on a distant planet. Chief amongst his concerns was Kylo Ren, who had been kept on a short leash by Snoke these last few months and thus Hux felt reassured of her safety.

The day when news came of FN-2187 escaping aboard the Millennium Falcon in the presence of Han Solo, the droid and an unnamed girl, Hux was summoned early to Snoke's presence with Ren. Although it was Ren whom had been charged with finding her, Hux made an attempt to take responsibility only to be met with Snoke's fury.

"GENERAL!" Snoke's voice challenged him to be silent before he lowered his tone, "Our strategy must now change…" the hologram's voice drifted off suggestively, and Hux knew what he wanted to hear, and so relayed what he'd only just been told the previous night:

"The weapon. It is ready. I believe the time has come to use it. We shall destroy the government that supports the Resistance, the Republic. Without their friends to protect them, the Resistance will be vulnerable, and we will stop them before they reach Skywalker."

From high atop his perch Snoke considered Hux's words and paused, for a moment it looked like he might have fallen asleep. Finally he lifted a hand and made a feeble gesture with his fingers towards the door, "Go. Oversee preparations."

Hux glowed with satisfaction at the instructions from Snoke. This would be the weapon that would reduce their enemies to stardust and ensure the Resistence was finally cowed into submission. Soon he would rise even further in power, perhaps being given charge over a fleet of ships instead of solely the Finalizer. If he was given command of another vessel, one away from Ren, then perhaps Cara could come on board to live with him again...

His dark sense of purpose as he strode toward the shuttle launch bay to take him down to Starkiller (thankfully leaving Kylo Ren behind) was only marred by one fleeting thought of Cara- her beguiling innocence, her sweet demeanor, her wide smile when he'd told her what her body had not the night he'd found out about the baby.

Mercifully so far he'd been able to keep her unaware of the finer details about his work. No doubt her father had not seen fit to fill his young daughter's delicate ears with the more unpleasant aspects of her intended husband and thus Hux could only assume she was largely unaware of the gruesome details of his job. It was better this way he reasoned. Cara was a delicate creature who would not understand the strength and oftentimes brutality that would accompany men of such power. Of course Hux did not unleash such hostility towards her, but even so he knew in his shallow heart that not only would she never condone such acts as he must execute, but that he couldn't bear to see the look in her face if she ever did.

The orders to ready the Starkiller for its first demonstration were given and within the hour Hux was marching aboard a shuttle to take him down to the weapon itself. A great host of Stormtroopers as well as their superiors (though all still inferior to Hux himself) were assembling on site to wait for his introductory speech just before launch. By the time he landed and disembarked the vessel he was musing inwardly how pleased he was at the chain of events that had unfolded since sending Cara away. It had been difficult, of course, more so for her due to the confinement in such a lonely place. But it had been for the best; both for her and the baby. Most importantly, she and the babe were safe from Kylo Ren and in a few weeks time he would travel back to Naboo to hold his firstborn child in his arms. The beginning of a powerful dynasty that would endure for eons to come.

He hardly had time to notice as Mitaka came rushing up to him just prior to heading down the hallways towards the stage that had been set. Indeed, he never would have stopped if not for the look of abject horror on the man's face.

Author's Note: Well, this is less than half of what I usually write but I wanted to give you guys something since it's been nearly a month since the last and I know I've been bad for updating in a timely fashion. I get the most wonderful feedback from you guys though and I wanted to let you know for the millionth time what a huge encouragement you are to me. I'm still trying to be diligent about writing my own work and hopefully I will be updating that on Wattpad again soon. Thanks in advance for the feedback and hope you enjoyed reading!


	10. The Revenge

The hours that passed since he heard the news of his wife's death had slunk by, taunting him with the intense amount of inner agony that could fit into such a relatively short time. His speech had gone on as planned, though as he stood there in the cold air of Starkiller's atmosphere his eyes had blazed manically as he delivered the words. His tone had been more frenetic than he planned for, but the louder he shouted the easier it seemed to cover the tremor in his voice and the rising bile in his throat.

That was hours ago now, and here he sat back in his chambers, drink in hand as he stared across the table to the chair she had last sat in when he'd held out his hand to her and asked her to come with him to the ship. With a wince, he remembered the devastation painted all over her face; the crestfallen look that had met his eyes when her words slipped out and his response was the polar opposite of what she'd hoped it would be.

His hands had trembled as he disembarked the stage, having watched the destruction of the Hosnian System with none of the satisfaction he'd been expecting. His wife and child were dead, victims of a missile attack by an as yet unknown menace. Of course when Hux found them these people would pay with their lives, but none of this was any solace to the ache behind his eyes and the gnawing of his heart.

Dead. Gone. Never to be seen again.

As he stumbled down the halls of the Starkiller base to his quarters he almost clung to the walls for support as he processed the magnitude of what had occurred. He had enemies surely, but to stoop so low as to strike at his wife, at his future progeny? Who in all the galaxy could have such a vendetta against him as to aim this low?

The face swam to the surface of his mind hazily, seconds before the name fell in a mumbling whisper from his lips. Kylo Ren.

His jealousy of Hux. His desire for Cara. His meddling with the two of them time and time again. It all clicked. Who knew how long he had planned this spectacle? Who could have predicted his madness would lead down such a road as this? To murder a woman and her unborn child weeks before it's birth? There were some lines even the First Order considered too dark to cross. Civilian casualties on a mass scale such as Hosnian Prime were an exception, a necessary evil that he began to rationalize as soon as the thought came to him unbidden. Cara was different. She was special. His child was special. Even though he had never been capable of love, what little emotional attachment there was in his heart to give, he knew he had bestowed it on her and their baby long ago.

When he managed to find his room and violently punch in the code his face was red and gasping for air. The collar of his black greatcoat seemed to tighten around his throat every second and he almost fell inside the doors as they slid open. Clawing at his throat he left deep red marks against the skin in his desperation to loosen the choking feeling around his neck. Behind him the doors shut quietly and he sank to his knees, the buttons on his coat and uniform jacket scattering in various directions as he tore them both open, a violent cry unlike anything he had ever experienced began to emerge from the back of his throat. The walls here were soundproof, he had no need to fear being overheard.

All his plans, all his dreams, all the things he had planned to do for her and his child; they too were gone. Vanished in a cloud of smoke left to hang around him ominously like the ashes of Hosnian Prime and its surrounding planets. His rage was so deep, his grief so all-consuming that he finally began to comprehend Kylo Ren's penchant for destroying things when he went into his fits. All Hux wanted to do right now was tear into something, anything to alleviate the constriction of his lungs which had not abated with the removal of his uniform.

The burning behind his eyes finally seemed to lessen suddenly, but a strange, unfamiliar sensation alarmed him. From his place kneeling on the cold metal floor Hux reached up both hands to his cheeks and felt the steady rolling of a tear from each eye, catching them with his fingertips as if to put them back where they had come from and stave off the tidal wave left to fall. Try as he might to stop them, he did not succeed.

It was later that night when Mitaka came to his quarters to deliver information. A small remote on the table next to his lounge chair enabled Hux to admit the visitor without bothering to move from his seat, opting instead to nurse his 5th glass of Scotch that evening, a half empty bottle next to the remote serving as a testament to how much he had already consumed. His swollen red eyes closed as he took another sip and stared at the fireplace, picturing the nights he'd taken Cara on that rug, perhaps one of them had been the very night they...

Mitaka entered to see only the flash of bright red from the back of the General's hair, his body and the chair facing opposite the doors. It was impossible to gauge how he was coping although the bottle did not go unnoticed.

"What is it?" Hux asked gruffly, the faint sound of his voice beginning to slur.

"Sir. Kylo Ren received a tip from Takodana that the droid and Han Solo were spotted in Maz Kanata's castle. He was unable to acquire the droid but instead obtained a girl he believes has seen the map. He is currently in the process of trying to pry Luke Skywalker's location from her."

At the mention of Kylo Ren's name Hux let out an involuntary hiss. Yes, Snoke's temperamental pet had been coddled and allowed to wreak havoc aboard his ship far too long, but this had been the last straw. He thought Snoke had cowed his little minion into submission but he had been so wrong. Nevermind that, he would fight fire with fire. Although there was very little that mattered to Kylo Ren, Hux needed the promise of vengeance to tide him through the night. Tomorrow he would wake hungover and still a man robbed of the future he had tried so hard to construct, but when he did wake, he would begin to plot. He would wait for the opportune moment, and when it came, he would destroy him.

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The first thing Cara became conscious of was the uncomfortable pressure around her abdomen, surpassed only by the splitting headache that seemed to have woken her from unconsciousness. All around her loomed an unearthly stillness and she wondered vaguely how long she had been knocked out. Opening her eyes Cara saw the heavy wood of the table, it's surface several inches thick. Yet in spite of this, only a few centimeters from her nose the wood had split and bowed inward, its strength still no match for levels and levels of concrete. Not more than a few feet away the wood had already caved in, leaving a wall of pure rock blocking her possible escape route.

Panic finally seized her and she understood the direness of her situation as claustrophobia set it. The wood seemed to give another groan and she shrieked, hearing the moan of Mira somewhere by her feet. The collapse of concrete and marble had cracked the floor beneath her as well, and taking great care not to touch the splintering table above her Cara scooted further down towards the towering rocks that had landed so precariously she dared not try to climb out.

There was a hole though, barely big enough for her to fit through, though her present condition might render any effort impossible even if the only escape route didn't look so treacherous. Sunlight filtered in through the opening and Cara could tell by the subdued tones that it was nearing sundown. If they didn't try to escape soon they would likely be forced to wait out the night here. A proposition made even more dangerous by the groaning of the wood which had saved them as it strained to hold their impending death at bay a while longer.

Mira gave another moan and Cara tried to sit up as best she could, willing the headache away as she shook dust from her hair and tried not to bash her head on the underside of the table.

"Mira, Mira, wake up!" she whispered, though she didn't know why she took such care not to be heard. Whomever was responsible for this had likely assumed they'd finished the job when her entire villa was reduced to a pile of rubble. No doubt they concluded no one could have survived such a disaster. The pressure in her abdomen increased. Would her husband come to search for her? Or in his undying sense of practicality and realism simply assume she had perished?

Another moan as Cara's hand shook her shoulder and Mira began to stir.

"M-M-Milady?" she gasped fearfully when she finally opened her eyes and took in their cramped surroundings.

The pressure in Cara's abdomen made it hard for her to breathe and she bent forward, trying to brace herself against the floor as she saw stars burst in front of her eyes. It had been hours since she'd eaten or drank and she was weeks away from birth. She knew she needed to find a way out of her and fast or she and the child would surely perish as most would have assumed they already had.

"Milady! You're hurt!" Mira scrambled to a sitting position, her own limbs dirty and scratched but otherwise unharmed. Cara felt her friend's fingers probe a painful spot close to her hairline and she herself reached up to feel the dried trickle of blood that ran from her forehead down her left cheek.

"We need to find a way out of here Mira, this table can't hold forever."

"But Milady, that tunnel looks mighty small. In your condition how can you possibly fit?"

"At this point I don't have another option," Cara snapped impatiently, "It's either die trying or die waiting. Which would you rather Mira?"

A hurt look crossed her friend's face and Cara regretted the sharpness of her words as Mira further shamed her, "I'll not leave you Milady. We leave together or we die together."

Emboldened by Mira's dire prospects Cara squared her shoulders resolutely, "I have no intention of dying today Mira."

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When he woke the next morning Hux was immediately accosted by a splitting headache and the powerful urge to vomit. He attributed it mostly to the plethora of alcohol he'd consumed the previous night in a bid to forget what had happened, but even after he had ceased to retch into the fresher toilet the sickening, nauseous feeling remained, only worsened by each sober minute he had to think anew about what had been lost to him.

He made no rush to get to the bridge that morning. His stomach still churned with the gnawing pain of excessive drunkenness and unfathomable grief. The breakfast delivered to him remained untouched on the table and he idly stroked the lip of his mug of caf, not even thinking to take a sip until it was long cold.

On any other day he would have been the first to arrive at the bridge, rising before dawn to set the example. No doubt by now word would have spread amongst the ship that his pregnant wife had been murdered and while he normally would have balked at sitting here avoiding the world and appearing overly sentimental, at this moment in time he found he no longer had the strength to care.

By noon lunch was delivered and he picked at it like a bird, eating only a few bites as he downed 3 glasses of water and tried to focus his attention on something other than the throbbing of his head. A buzz on his com broke his train of murderous thoughts and musings on how he might exact the revenge on Kylo Ren he'd drank himself into a stupor over last night.

He pressed the button to accept the com. "Yes?" he growled.

"S-Sir," Mitaka's nervous voice responded, "Supreme Leader Snoke requests your presence in the throne room. It seems Kylo Ren was unable to extract the information needed from our hostage."

Hux was silent as he pondered Mitaka's words. The droid had been their primary target, the source of the map to Skywalker- and yet something had possessed him to forego their initial objective in favor of some girl? How was she even capable of repelling him in the first place?

"Is there no way for us to still capture the droid?" Hux spoke into the com, wincing at the staticky sound it emitted.

"Sir, the rebels have been tracked to the Ileenium system, a remote planet called D'Qar."

Once more he paused as he felt some of the mental fugue begin to melt away at this new sense of purpose. He knew where the rebels were based, including Kylo Ren's own mother. General Leia Organa had overstepped very far indeed by showing her hand and letting the First Order track her vessels all the way back to their home base. It seemed so unlike her- then again, perhaps her quest to find her brother in the absence of being able to reclaim her son had left the woman increasingly careless in her old age…

Within 10 minutes he was dressed and marching down the long series of halls and corridors to find his way to the throne room where Snoke and no doubt Kylo Ren were waiting. His lips curled into a cruel smile which disappeared just as he stepped through the doors into the dark, cavernous room beyond.

Kylo Ren was explaining his failure to Snoke- how he had been thwarted by this young slip of a girl who was little more than a bug they might crush. Yet somehow she had been able to throw off his mental assault.

"She is strong with the Force!" Kylo interjected defensively, "Untrained but stronger than she knows!"

Snoke seemed dismissive of this, instead growling, "And the droid?"

Hux smile as he realised his time had come. He stepped forth from the shadows of the entrance at a steady clip, clearing his face of any trace of emotion as he offered an accusation, "Ren believed it was no longer valuable to us." He relished the way Kylo's head snapped behind him to see Hux approaching and then turned back quickly as though embarrassed. However he was only too happy to continue, momentarily pushing away the thoughts of his wife's cruel murder at the hands of this madman. "That the girl was all we needed. As a result, the droid has most likely been returned to the hands of the enemy. They may have the map already."  
Snoke was visibly furious.

"Then the Resistance must be destroyed before they get to Skywalker," his voice held an even more dangerous undercurrent than usual.

"We have their location. We tracked their reconnaissance ship to the Ileenium system."

"Good," Snoke replied, "Then we will crush them once and for all. Prepare the weapon."

Through all this Kylo Ren had been conspicuously silent but at that he could not help but hide his aghast expression, though just as soon as it appeared it was gone.

Hux almost laughed when it occurred to him. It was so obvious to him, a man who had no one left to lose, that on some primal level Kylo Ren was loathe to sign the death warrant for his own mother. With an inward gleeful sneer, Hux mused that he would enjoy being the one to take from Kylo Ren the only viable equivalent to what he had taken from him. Before, of course, he also dispatched Ren himself. Hux turned on his heel and as he walked down the bridge a leering smile crossed his face as as he heard Ren's pitiful rebuttal.

"Supreme Leader, I can get the map from the girl, I just need your guidance…"

Snoke's response was so menacing even Hux suppressed a shudder as he cleared the throne room doors.

"If what you say about this girl is true, bring. her. to. me.

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The climb out was more treacherous than even Cara had predicted. She'd made Mira go first under the pretense of helping to pull her pregnant mistress through any tight spaces but truth be told she wanted Mira to have a chance of escape if the passage proved too narrow for Cara. If she'd gone first as Mira had first demanded there would be no way out with a pregnant woman lodged in the only viable outlet for escape.

Outside the small opening the waning sunlight gradually afforded less and less visibility. Mira had fit through easily of course, as her waist was not 3x the girth it normally was. When it came time for Cara to fit through every inch was a struggle as she tried to avoid any harm to the baby. There came times when she had to fit through a tight space in the passage and simply hope that the additional momentary pressure was not causing undue harm.

Huge slabs of concrete made up the majority of her climb, though each were fractured and their sharp, rough edges scratched and cut her limbs as she made her way out, Mira's hands helping to tug her along the whole way. The groaning of timber and rock bearing down on the table behind her increased Cara's anxiety as she tried to squeeze herself through the minute crevices faster. At last the end of the tunnel was close and she could see in the final lingering rays of sunlight the open sky ahead where ceilings and rooms had stood only hours before.

Mira was visibly straining in her efforts to help her mistress. Her face and hair were caked with dust and debris, a dirty mess of streaks and sweat running down her cheeks as her matted hair stuck to the side of her head oddly. The muscles of her arms and back were taut as she used every bit of strength she possessed to hold onto Cara's hands and help lift her from the prison of their makeshift grave.

When Cara finally could feel the breeze on her face once again she took a deep breath and braced herself as she gave one last painful lurch upwards to the opening, accompanied by a loud, wretched crash as the layers of carnage finally crashed down and succeeded in crushing the table at last. Mira gave a worried shout but did not let go and with one final pull Cara gave a loud cry as she felt her body wrench free of the passageway, feebly crawling the last few feet out onto a large piece of marble that had once been the floor of a guest room.

The cool surface against her back and the moon's rays briefly soothed Cara as she struggled to breathe normally again. Her ragged intakes of breath alarmed Mira who worried she had injured her mistress in the effort of freeing her.

"Milady," her tremulous voice quivered, and suddenly Cara's view of the open sky was blocked by Mira's weary but ever loyal face.

She forced a smile, even though the pressure in her abdomen had worsened, "I'm fine, Mira," but a sharp pain in her abdomen caused her to gasp.

"You're hurt! Milady we need to get you medical help!"

Cara had to chuckle cynically, the full weight of their predicament hitting her like another missile, "Considering our coms and medical equipment are all buried under concrete I think we're probably on our own here Mira."

The alarm on her face was clear but Cara was too busy trying to breathe deeply, another pain having come on. "Mira," she said as gently as she could through gritted teeth, "I need you to help me head towards the woods. Somewhere under tree cover. The foundation here is unstable and we don't know if we're still being watched."

Mira's eyes darted around the property, scanning the trees and distant mountains as if they held some unseen menace which would appear if one only looked closely enough.

"Yes, milady," she said, her eyes narrowed in steely resolve to see her mistress to safety, come hell or high water.

As they hobbled together from the rubble, moving almost as one entity for the supposed safety of the trees, Cara took one last lingering look at her childhood escape, or rather, what remained of it. She paused in her steps and stared up at the ice moon of Naboo, shivering from the low chill that overtook her as a breeze blew through. With a final glance backward, she watched the sky just for a moment, wondering to herself whether her husband had heard and if he would try to come for her, to see for himself whether she was truly dead, or whether she and Mira would be left to forage through the mountains alone until death slowly found them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Well, the update took longer than I wanted but I've been getting more responsibilities at work and it's harder to find the time there like I had been. However today was extremely chill so I decided I NEEDED to pump this chapter out finally. I've also been extremely preoccupied because well, special announcement, I'M PREGNANT. lol. I'm due around mid-June and obviously this will be finished long looong before that but I've obviously had my mind in a million places as my husband and I prepare to bring our first human into the world. Please be patient with me as well since this month I really want to take the challenge from NaNoWriMo and work on my original fiction aka stop making excuses. Pretty sure this story will wrap up next chapter so thank you for hanging in there with me!


	11. The Revelation

The fall of Starkiller base had been suddenly and swiftly done. All plans of revenge for his deceased wife and child were put on hold when sirens began wailing and the floor began to shake beneath his boots.

As a senior officer Hux had taken to ordering Mitaka and his other lieutenants to begin evacuating the base immediately. Kylo Ren was nowhere to be found of course, but Hux expected no less. In such a dire moment who wouldn't expect the childish cretin to save himself first?

Blasts rained down over the base. Indeed, it became obvious they were aiming for the thermal oscillator. This wouldn't have been nearly so damaging had the oscillator's shields not been somehow mysteriously deactivated. First Order TIE fighters had been deployed immediately to combat the skilled X-wing squadrons.

Shortly before the collapse of the pseudo-planet began General Hux received word that pyro denton explosives had also been used internally by someone targeting the thermal oscillator from within. Furious but unable to do anything, Hux simply watched the video footage showing the seconds before detonation, when Kylo Ren had surprised perhaps even himself and stabbed his own father in the chest with his the erratic red blade of his lightsaber. Soon after they noted that he left, braving the frigid winds outside for some reason or another.

However, there was no time to mull over this. Hux looked around him and saw that few remained in the vacant room-- headsets dangled over the control panel and a few chairs swiveled with the motion of the destabilised planet.

He headed for the throne room at a run, forgetting for a moment that he was a grieving widower, or a man hellbent on vengeance. In that moment he was only a general and a man faced with horror and fear over his likely impending demise.

Snoke's shaky holographic form sat atop the throne as Hux ran inside, "Supreme Leader," he gasped out, trying to quell the panic in his voice and appear calm while the room shook, albeit much less than it had at the control panel. Snoke's response was brief, "Leave the base at once and come to me with Kylo Ren. It is time to complete his training."

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The morning sun rose gradually over the peaks of the mountains, stirring the wildlife that had nestled into their trees and burrows to sleep. The rustle of leaves in the wind and birdsong was a tender melody to most who chose to reside on Naboo, including Cara. Today however was the exception.

"Ahhh!" she screamed as another pain overtook her. The pressure she'd experienced when prying herself from the hands of death in the form of her ruined home had only intensified as she and Mira climbed the mountain looking for safety. By the early hours of the morning, when the first gold rays of the sun began to peek through the branches of the trees, Cara finally collapsed on the ground, moaning to Mira that she could go no further.

The hours had passed and with them came the sun brighter and fuller as it rose, but with it crested the pressure that had gradually given way to pain.

Mira was beside herself with panic. "I'm not a midwife milady, I don't know what to do...how to do, well ANYTHING!"

Cara tried to stay calm, swallowing the lump in her throat that threatened to verbally rend Mira into pieces for thinking she had more right to be scared than her.

"It's fine Mira, I'll be fine. I just need you to stay calm for both of us right now."

Mira's watery red eyes looked at her friend as though trying to memorize her, almost like someone who thinks they will never...

"MIRA! I need a towel, or... SOMETHING!"

That broke her mournful trance quickly, and Mira sprang into action, "Yes milady, here take my coat, you can lie down on it here."

"I think I'd rather kneel," said Cara, groaning as she spoke with the pain of another contraction.

"Yes milady."

The coat was thin, granted winter's on Naboo were not known for their extreme temperatures, but at least it provided some relief to Cara's knees and forearms as she bent over and tried to breathe through the pain like the medic her husband sent with her to Naboo had taught her to do when the time came.

Unbidden, the thought surfaced that she had never expected to be doing this under such conditions, and certainly never with just Mira to coach her through. Right now Mira seemed to be needing a coach more than Cara.

"Nnnnnh," she grunted, balling her hands into fists, bent over like an ape as she tried to channel the sensations coursing through her body. This wasn't what it was supposed to be like. She was supposed to give birth in her home, with a crew of medics present and warm towels with soft blankets. Also pain medicine. Lots of pain medicine.

A particularly sharp pain made her suddenly let out a heartrending scream and Mira looked as if she might faint.

"Milady," she said faintly, "What else can I do?"

Cara spoke through gritted teeth, still trying to retain some composure as her body was wracked with the agony of these contractions. Her head still throbbed from the explosion and collapse of the villa, she needed water...

"Water! Mira, go find water!"

Relief flooded her maidservant's face at something practical she could do. She scurried off into the trees, not even looking back in her haste to feel like she was helping. Cara took a deep breath as she felt another contraction begin to stir. As supportive and loyal a friend as she knew Mira was, in this venture at least, Cara knew she was quite alone.

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Finding Kylo Ren had been less of an ordeal than he thought. In the moments following Snoke's shaky admonition Hux had paused briefly, watching as the hologram flickered to nothing before sprinting back down the throne room's walkway and heading for the launch bay.

The walls crumbled behind him almost as soon as he cleared the final hall, emerging in a cloud of smoke and coughing into the sleeve of his dust-covered uniform as he hastily looked for a viable ship.

After a brief perusal where he settled on the first shuttle he saw Hux heard a groaning sound in the ceiling above him. A second after he turned back to the collapsed hallway he'd just come from a shrill screeching sound preceded a loud whoosh before a deafening crash. He turned back around to see the ship he'd just been about to board was now crushed beneath multiple layers of the base's roof, and the force of the fall had flung a sizable pile of snow from the roof straight onto him. Hux shook his head, wiping it from his eyes and a bitter chill swept through him as a steady streams of snowflakes billowed down from the hole, swirling in the cold wind to land on his hair and shoulders. Above the outside sky was dark, the moon illuminating thick curtains of snow that seemed to be falling even faster.

Quickly, noting the instability of everything around him Hux ran for the next nearest shuttle and sprang for the cockpit once inside, almost slipping on the floor in his haste. Within less than a minute the engines were humming to life and he stared outside the window at the trembling walls of the base, watching the carnage unfold as he clumsily strapped himself into the pilot's seat.

No sooner had the ship risen from the floor than Hux hit the accelerator with full force, shooting out of the hanger as debris began falling faster, glancing off the sides of the sturdily built shuttle. Once clear of the rapidly toppling structure he gave a momentary glance back and saw the last of the roof cave in, burying the remainder of the launch bay in rubble.

Finding Kylo Ren was the most daunting task he'd ever been given, an insurmountable search on a planet mere minutes from imploding. Hux lowered the aircraft and within seconds he saw from the corner of his eye the fiery explosion which told him that the control room had finally erupted into a tower of flames. A pang of sympathy struck him for those who must have remained behind until the very end.

Just as he thought he might have to leave without Kylo Ren, with the planet's destruction now obviously very imminent he saw a familiar sight emerging from the tops of the snow-covered trees.

The Millennium Falcon rose in a hazy whirlwind of white powder, it's horizontal blue light at the rear a beacon in the darkness as the snow buffeted Hux's shuttle at every turn.Chasing after them was not his mission though, acquiring Kylo Ren was.

Beneath him the planet groaned and shook, its surface breaking apart in increasingly large areas, splitting into chunks that wrenched themselves apart violently as anything in their path tumbled into the fiery chasm below. He hurried to lower the ship, looking for any sign of life in the darkness.

There, suddenly the erratic red beam of Ren's lightsaber blazed in the shadowy abyss of trees below. The blade wavered shakily, like its owner was barely able to keep it aloft. Another grumble from the planet's surface reminded Hux there was little time left. Again he thought that he should run for it, leave Ren here as his act of vengeance and at least save himself. But he remembered that apart from Cara he had no life to go to now save for his work for the First Order. If he returned to Snoke without Kylo Ren he would no longer have that either.

Hux landed the ship in a small clearing amongst the trees. When the shuttle door lowered open he was hit with another icy blast of air. Snow flew into his eyes and nose, burning them with the cold. He stuck out his hand to block it as he rushed down the ramp in the direction of the shaking saber blade glowing red in the darkness.

There was Ren, lying not far from where he'd landed in a smoldering pile, a wound in his side bleeding out onto the pristine white snow. A huge red gash had been burned into his face, stretching from his forehead down across his left cheek. Hux looked down at him for a moment with a mix of pity and revulsion before Ren opened his eyes and saw his nemesis standing above him.

The hum of the lightsaber gave out as the blade retracted and Hux stared down at Ren's wide, frightened eyes, knowing full well even without reading minds that he was deathly unsure what the General's next move would be. A wretched crumbling sound echoed through the trees as many of them gave way, splintering in half before falling into another deep crevasse that had just opened in the planet not far from them.

With another tense look that passed between them Hux leaned over to offer Ren his hand and pull him to his feet.

"I-I-I can't," he mumbled, but Hux reached down and grabbed both hands suddenly, wrenching him to his feet and relishing the scream Ren gave from the pain.

"That's for killing my wife," he spoke through gritted teeth as he slung Ren's arm across his shoulder and half-dragged him to the waiting shuttle, trying to stave off the panic that it might disappear into the ground before they could make it there.

Ren said nothing, his face had turned blue from the cold and Hux looked away from him in disgust, focusing his gaze on the shuttle door waiting mere feet away.

When they finally reached it and Hux dragged the injured man up the ramp he all but threw Ren to the floor before quickly entering the code to close the door, kicking Ren's foot out of the way so it wasn't crushed in the process.

There was no time to strap in Kylo Ren, or to tend to his wounds while they were still aboard this planet. Hux rushed back to the cockpit, still occupied with the sight of Ren's ragged face as he began to pull the shuttle up.

Just as the engine throbbed and began to hover above the snow the ground beneath them suddenly gave way. The shuttle lurched to the side, and Hux looked out the cockpit window to see one of the trees had toppled over, striking the tip of the shuttle's right wing but glancing off. They needed to get out of here now before they were pulled into the widening cavity below, the red heat of the planet's centre throbbing below as it prepared to explode.

Hux pulled the lever responsible for propelling them out of here and they began to rise steadily. A series of cracks so loud he could hear it from within the ship startled him and he looked out the foggy windows to see a host of trees snapping in half, their tops careening downward towards the shuttle.

In a split second decision, Hux grabbed the lever and pulled back as hard as he could, jamming his thumb against the button for lightspeed. With a jolt and a thump from the back of the ship he could only assume was Kylo Ren's body the shuttle lurched upwards so quickly he didn't even see the crumbling remains of the planet behind them as the lightspeed propelled them forward to an unknown fate.

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The pain had been so very great, at the end Cara thought she would be rent in half with the severity of it. Waves of agony crested only to sink down momentarily and rise back up again. Kneeling helped but the hard ground beneath her hurt, even through the coat Mia had provided. By the end though she felt nothing but the unending succession of increasingly intense pangs as her body prepared to permanently expel what it had taken 9 months to build.

Mira watched in horror, trying to help in whatever way she could by retrieving more water and mopping her mistress's brow as she strained through the throes of labour.

It had taken many hours from the time they climbed the mountain and found this spot to the moment when Cara could finally feel that the baby was coming.

"Mira," she moaned through gritted teeth, trying to keep her breathing calm, "I need you to lift up my skirt and tell me what you see."

Her maidservant looked alarmed at the thought but obeyed, "Milady, there's something flat pushing through, I can just see the top of it."

"That's the baby's head, Mira, it's crowning. I need you to help me. I'm going to push and when I do the baby will come out more. Your job--" she stopped as another spasm hit her like a freight train and she waited until she caught her breath to speak again, "Your job is to help pull the baby out. Once the head is through you have to turn the body around and help the shoulders come through. After that it should be easy."

Cara honestly thought Mira might faint but in spite of her inexperience suddenly there appeared in her eyes a fierce determined look. Right then Cara knew Mira would not fail her.

The pain from the contractions was only matched by the pain of pushing.

"Milady the head is halfway out, I can't do anything yet!"

Another push, another splitting pain and Cara screamed in the middle of the empty forest, punching the ground feebly with her fist.

"Oh, there's more milady, almost got the whole head out."

There was no telling how long it actually took for her to push the baby out completely. Cara felt like it took days-- days of unending, unbearable pain until at last she felt the adrenaline rush as the baby was finally pulled free by Mira's waiting hands. With a cry of relief Cara dropped down to a prostrate position before slumping onto her side. Exhausted, she opened her eyes after a moment and looked at Mira holding the bloody body of her firstborn. Her face was beaming and Cara couldn't help but smile back at her.

Mira stepped over and laid the tiny infant into Cara's arms, and at last it gave a cry, it's first tiny wail in this bright new world and the women laughed, tears running down their faces in relief.

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Hux flew the shuttle towards the Outer Rim territories. He thought longingly of returning to Naboo as he had before, of coming back to find his home and his wife whole and well. Of beholding his child about to be born.

It would have been any day now he thought bitterly, his eyes locked onto the stars ahead, any moment now she could have, would have been giving birth to his son or daughter, his firstborn. What a fool he had been to place their happiness and welfare behind his position and rank. As he glanced back into the traveling chamber where Kylo Ren was bandaged and sleeping he allowed himself to think privately without worrying he would be overheard. The thought occurred to him then that he would rather be lying dead in the rubble of the villa with his wife and child than stuck on board this shuttle with Kylo Ren.

The unfamiliar watering in the corners of his eyes came unbidden again. He had never allowed himself to cry since it happened. Only that first night when the grief was so fresh and raw it had pulled long buried emotions to the surface as he tried to make sense of it.

No matter what he did with the rest of his life, it would never absolve him of the guilt from sending her away. Or from bringing her aboard the Finalizer. Or even from marrying her to begin with. The day he exchanged vows in her parent's parlor room he had effectively signed her death certificate.

Ren groaned and he tried to shut off his thoughts, to keep them private. He'd never been very good at that though, nor was he now.

"I can hear what you're thinking," Ren mumbled loud enough for Hux to hear and an unnaturally hot anger spiked his blood pressure. He felt his face glow hot as he ruminated all the other internal conversations Ren had made himself privy to without Hux's consent.

The wild thought occurred to him that now would be the perfect time to exact his revenge. He looked around for a blunt object he might use to bludgeon Ren with and he could dump his body on a neighboring planet. He might make it as far as the Unknown Regions before some bounty hunter caught up with him.

"I know what you're thinking about," Kylo Ren reminded him, but his eyes were closed as though he wasn't worried.

Hux steered them left, towards Coruscant. "Do you?" he seethed with a quiet malice, still not entirely swayed from the idea of killing him once and for all.

"Yes, and your inner dialogue is still quite tedious. You loved her, you fought it, now you live with regret. How very romantic of you."

All Hux wanted was to standing and somehow lash out with the Force the way Ren could do. He wanted to wrapped his invisible fingers around Ren's throat and watch his eyes widen as the oxygen left his body until he succumbed to death the same way his wife had.

"She loved you too you know," Ren sounded almost bored, his voice getting stronger though from the fluids Hux had hooked him up to in a minimal attempt to keep Ren from bleeding to death.

"I know."

Ren looked out the window, Coruscant had just come into view and they were fast approaching. Perhaps he thought if he kept talking he might distract Hux from killing him, although the prospect had not lost any of its appeal yet.

Ren continued nonetheless."I saw it. That day I peered into her mind, somehow in spite of all your shortcomings, all your misgivings about her and your aloofness and apathy, somehow she found a way to love the man behind the uniform. I found it quite remarkable actually. What a curious creature she was."

Hux's hand on the lever gripped it so tightly his knuckles were stark white against his skin.

"What would you know about it?" he seethed as they descended into Coruscant's atmosphere with a faint hiss, "What shred of soul is there left in a man who kills his own father?"

Ren didn't answer and Hux took them lower, heading west to find the nearest First Order controlled hospital to render further first aid to Ren's injuries before they left to join Emperor Snoke.

There, in the early morning sunrise was the hospital stark against the red and orange clouds, it's every window still lit in contrast against the retracting night sky. He would land on the roof and wait for the medical personnel to meet them. It took a few tries before he found the button to page them--in his flustered state they all looked the same--and soon they were minutes from landing, a large crew already waiting on the roof to receive both men. Hux put the vessel into autopilot and sat back wearily, wishing he could throw himself from the roof upon arrival.

The anger flared again as he thought of Cara pinned beneath layers of concrete and marble and he glared at Ren, "Still nothing to say then? No more words of wisdom from someone who kills his father? Who killed my wife?" Now, in their last moments of privacy he wanted to hear Ren say it, to confess it once and for all so that Hux might have the privilege of striking him in retaliation at least once.

The silence stretched on. Their projected landing time was in 7 minutes. Not much longer until they were separated--

"I didn't kill your wife."

Hux stopped cold and gave Ren the most murderous look he could, "What did you say to me?"

"I didn't kill Cara," he groaned, leaning his head back against the wall, "I thought you would figure it out for yourself by now. What would I stand to gain by killing her?"

"You wanted to get to me, you wanted to be with her, I don't know! But who the hell else would do something so monstrous?"

"Who?" Ren gave him an almost pitying look, "The question you should be asking yourself is who in the First Order wouldn't resort to such measures?"

Hux paused, they had 5 minutes until they landed, "Then who?"

Ren rolled his eyes, "Think man, was someone else supposed to be there the day of the strike? Someone it might benefit others to have removed?"

His head swam with a muddle of unlikely possibilities until it dawned on him, "Me?"

The scathing look he received from Ren seemed to say well you got there at last didn't you? but he was too desperate for answers to care.

"We're both powerful General, and you know that power breeds jealousy amongst lesser men. Any number of the men in the room that evening you brought your wife as a trophy on your arm might have been responsible."

3 minutes until landing and Hux only found himself deeper in the ocean of questions, "But... my wife."

"Was an innocent casualty, yes. Really General, did you think the First Order cared deeply for the personal happiness of its leadership? If they did, do you think the Supreme Leader would have asked me to- to," his voice cut off and he looked at the wall as though conflicted about what he'd been ready to say.

2 minutes to landing.

"You should go to Naboo," Ren stated plainly.

Hux looked up at him dumbstruck, his mind still trying to process what he had just learnt. "Why?"

"My contacts on Naboo tell me there is a chance she's still alive."

His heart stopped at that. He felt like he'd just been drenched in icy cold water.

"That's not possible."

"My contacts tell me it is."

"You just told me she was an innocent casualty."

"Because I hadn't made up my mind whether or not to tell you my suspicions."

"Your suspicions that she survived?"

Ren didn't answer, he just gave him a poignant look and then Hux heard his nemesis' voice inside his head, You'll always wonder if you don't go.

The ship pitched forward as it finally made contact with the roof of the hospital. Staff members rushed to await the door when it would open.

Hux was almost beside himself now, "Why are you telling me all this now?"

Ren's thoughts in his head whispered, Because I'm not as heartless as I appear.  
The button to Hux's left sank down, pushed by an invisible hand he knew to be Ren and the door opened. Two female medics rushed in to attend him and Ren waved them back, "Wait outside for me," he growled, "Neither I nor General Hux bid you enter."

With terrified expressions both medics rapidly descended the ramp to wait. Ren stood to his feet and appeared disoriented for a moment before recovering and striding towards the open door.

"But...my orders from Supreme Leader."

Ren gave him one last look, I'll give you a head start.

With that he was gone and Hux was left sitting in the pilot chair, staring at the ramp and waiting medic who expected him to disembark as well. It didn't take him long to make his choice.

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The familiar sight of Naboo greeted him with its lush hues of green and blue interspersed with wide swathes of white clouds. This time he didn't need any help remembering where to find his destination.

There wasn't much left to see. It had been weeks now since the implosion of Starkiller and in that time the dust had firmly settled on the crumbled remains of the once palatial estate. He surveyed the lingering remnant of the villa from atop a large boulder while a crushing pressure settled into his stomach. This must have been another trick of Ren's, to somehow give him false hope, however small that she might still be alive. Looking at the destruction all around him now it was obvious no one could ever have survived this, especially a women mere weeks from giving birth.

His head ached with the guilt he felt, much more so than when he had grieved from afar. Here he could see every piece of what had occurred, he could imagine the sheer terror she must have felt moments before her death. Had she thought of him then, in the end?

A bird swooped over his head, casting a shadow on the ground as he continued his self abasement. This was where he had sent her to safety. This was where he had banished her from his side in an effort to keep her away from Kylo Ren, when actually he was the person Hux should have been the least concerned with.

"Nothing will happen on Naboo. Nothing ever happens on Naboo. That's why it's the safest place for you now."

That's what he had said to her when he demanded she pack her things. Shortly afterwards she'd confessed her love for him and he stared at her like a fool. She'd deserved so much better than what he'd given her. Standing here on the edge of a cliff the villa had been built into, looking at the remaining wreckage he could see it clearly now. Theirs had been a marriage arranged like so many, but for whatever reason, their lives had intertwined in a way few First Order marriages did and she had changed him so gradually he never realised it until now. She'd given voice to the words that had bubbled below the surface of his heart for so long but he'd never thought to go deeper and see it. Ren had told him as much, but it took looking at the venue of her death to make him acknowledge it for himself.

I loved her. The solid truth to this thought brought another fresh wave of grief to him and he turned away from the carnage to wipe his eyes with the back of his sleeve and looked up the mountain, seeing the small trail that started at the bottom before disappearing into the trees. Not knowing why he did it or even felt the urge to do so, Hux stepped off the massive boulder and landed hard on his feet, quickly striding toward the path. Perhaps he had finally lost his mind, or perhaps he subconsciously wanted to relive one of his most peaceful memories here, the day he and Cara had walked these paths and ended up in the copse of trees where he had made love to her on the forest floor. His throat burned painfully at the memory--yet onward he went.

The hill sloped up into the trees away from the rubble of the once beautiful villa. Whether from desperation or instinct he locked eyes on the small dirt path and made to follow it, climbing the incline as it grew steadily steeper.

Birdsong rang down from the treetops towards him and a shaft of warm sunlight broke through the trees, landing on the top of his head and startling him with it's sudden warmth. After so much time on Starkiller and the Finalizer since sending Cara away, he had almost forgotten the taste of sunlight or the smell of fresh air. Sweat ran down his back and he unbuttoned the battered remains of his First Order uniform jacket. Like it or not he'd made the choice to come here and that part of his life was past now. Whether they found him and executed him for desertion or he threw himself off the top of the mountain it made no difference. None of it would bring back Cara or his child.

In spite of the grief that continued to gnaw at him, burning his throat with its severity, here now as he climbed ever higher into the thickening trees he felt almost alive once more, in a way he now realised only Cara had made him feel. It was as though in those times with her he'd found a part of himself that was so removed, so indelibly eradicated that he couldn't even recognize when he'd found it again.

The breeze rustling through the trees brought with it the smell of fir and pine mixed with something more familiar, a sound that brought him to an abrupt halt at the crest of the hill.

A voice was humming, or perhaps he was only imagining it. He felt so mentally unhinged he wouldn't be surprised if it was just a figment of his imagination. In the aftermath of such chaos and loss no one could be shocked if he had finally lost his mind. Perhaps he would wonder this place listlessly until death, chasing faint songs in the trees and ghosts of the past until the sweet embrace of death graciously enveloped him.

However the sound only seemed to become clearer, born on the winds of the mountains and carried down to him from some unseen place. A lift in his heart was quickly crushed by his practical side. It could be anyone he reasoned, You saw the villa, regardless of what ideas Kylo Ren planted in your head your wife and child are long gone.

Yet the humming did not stop, and onward his feet carried him, bound for some unknown place where he might at the least find the owner of this voice.

The sunlight began to beat down heavier through large openings in the trees and he felt rivers of sweat running down his back, soaking the light cotton shirt he'd left on after discarding his uniform jacket. Here the path began to look more familiar, but he reasoned that he had never trod these woods before except one time...

Emboldened by the memory, he lifted his aching, tired feet faster and began to run uphill along the trail, drawing on memory and the rapidly approaching sound of a familiar voice to draw him where he needed to go.

When he cleared the last outcropping of trees and clumsily stomped into the open clearing he stopped, almost careening over his own onto the ground.

There, in the same spot he'd taken her to on his visit after the misunderstood message, was the figure he'd spent months dreaming of, weeks grieving for. Cara stood, he would know her anywhere, her back towards him as she gazed down a path on the opposite side of the clearing from him, one he recognized as the same they'd taken together to find this place.

It all felt so unreal though, and he caught his breath as he took another step to steady himself, snapping a branch beneath his feet. In one swift moment, he watched as her glowing head of hair turned-- followed by the rest of her, and he knew right then that she could not be real, because she was as perfect and unmarred as the day he first saw her in her father's parlor room, all nervousness and timidity in front of him, a stranger that was to be her husband.

He fell to his knees, not noticing the pain as they dug into the ground, scratching on small rocks and stray acorns. All he could see was her, this vision of the woman he married; her hair soft and flowing down her shoulders, face completely untouched and eyes bright and clear. She was smiling, and in her arms was a dingy blanket with a baby inside, it's small face barely visible.

This must be my torment, to see her as she could have been. And yet when she stepped toward him and cupped his cheek in her hand she felt so warm, and alive, and real.

"You're a dream," he croaked out, tears already streaming down his cheeks at this farcical moment he knew he would relive every remaining day of his miserable life.

Her smile broadened, and she lifted the skirt of her dress enough to kneel down in the dirt next to him, hand still holding his face gently as the other held their baby to her chest.

"This is no dream," she told him, leaning in for a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Well, my lovely readers, this is where I leave you. Some of you will be very sad to read what I'm about to tell you, some of you will be ambivalent (which is fine.) It's hard to even type these words given how many of you congratulated me after my last update and how excited I was to share the news (a bit prematurely it turns out), but I found out at my 9 week ultrasound that I was carrying what is referred to as a blighted ovum, which means my body thought it was pregnant and prepared for pregnancy, but when the egg was fertilised a baby simply never grew. There was no heartbeat on the ultrasound, only an empty sac inside where the baby was supposed to be. I'll spare you the gory details unless you want to read the whole bloody ordeal here () , but after my devastating appt. that fateful Tuesday I started to miscarry that Friday and had to go to the ER with complications because I was beginning to bleed out. It's been over 2 months now since the medical intervention (which probably saved my life) and everything seems to have passed normally since then. We are, of course, devastated but I am thankful that at least there was no baby to see when everything went to hell, it would have been much harder. I wanted to finish this story for you though because you've all been so patient and invested in Hux and Cara's progression, and I hope the ending was satisfying to most of you (even if it was a bit cheesy). I never could decide which gender to make the baby (probably because I was so tied in knots wondering about my own) and since I never found out I decided to leave it open to your individual interpretation. I always like to give my readers some room for personal imagination when it comes to the characters while I move the storyline along, although I certainly tried to give Hux and Cara some piece of the happy ending I wanted for myself. I will likely be taking a break from here for a while to hopefully throw myself into my original work and if I try fanfic again I may pick up an old idea I had for an HP story years ago before the books were finished. I've started rereading all 7 of them when I was on bed rest-- whenever life is hard and getting me down, it can be nice to sit down and reconnect with 'old friends'. Hope all my readers worldwide had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thank you again for all your support, it means the world to me.
> 
> If anyone wants to touch base outside the Fanfiction.net, AO3 or Wattpad you can follow me on Instagram where my name is wild_welshwoman. Would love to connect with you lovely people. <3 <3 <3 <3


	12. 2017 update

Hello my lovely readers, as most of you who read the General's Wife already know, last year ended for me in quite the tragedy but I wanted to share with you all since I still get comments and messages about it, that I recently had a baby boy a few weeks shy of the 1 year anniversary of my life threatening miscarriage. He weighed 7lbs even and his name is Toby. We are completely in love with him and you're welcome to see photos on my instagram re: wild_welshwoman. Thanks so much for all your support and care. I have been writing since my last post but it was a difficult pregnancy and I was not as diligent as I should have been (and not likely to get nearly so much writing done now that he's here) but I hope to update you all with an original work sometime in 2018. Thanks again loves! <3 <3


	13. The Last Jedi

Just wanted to check in with everyone one last time before the holidays to wish you a HAPPY LAST JEDI RELEASE DAY.

What were your thoughts/opinions on it? I had to take my newborn with me because he's still too young to be away from me that long (because breastfeeding) so I feel like even though I was watching I missed a lot in my efforts to not let him get too upset and ruin the movie for others. He ended up being a champ most of the way through and we sat in the top left corner so I could nurse him quietly. I feel like I need to watch it 10 more times to let everything really sink in. No promises if I will write another but all I can say is I remember vividly why I wrote a fanfic for both Hux AND Kylo Ren. Dreamy :P

Happy Holidays, leave a comment and let us know what you thought once you've seen it! <3 <3


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